


Electrum Cauldrons and Dragonhide Gloves

by IronjawXII



Series: The Girl Who Thrived [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adoption, Book 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Could be pretty dark, Dark Harry Potter, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Evil Dumbledore, F/F, F/M, Female Harry Potter, Fluff and Angst, Good Malfoys, Good Severus, Grey Harry Potter, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, M/M, Manipulative Dumbledore, Multi, Pureblood Politics (Harry Potter), Rituals, Slytherin Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2019-10-20 13:25:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17623202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IronjawXII/pseuds/IronjawXII
Summary: When Severus accidentally intercepted a letter to the cupboard under the stairs, his world is turned upside-down. Nobody had seen Harriet Potter in the wizarding world for the last ten years, and when he finds out why things will never be the same.





	1. A Cold, Wet November Morning

**Author's Note:**

> Hello All! This is my first real attempt at writing after several failed false starts. I hope to have this updated regularly, although I can't commit to a solid schedule. The start will be a little slow, but things will start to diverge heavily as we get going. Expect Year 2 onward to be almost completely AU. 
> 
> Any and all feedback is appreciated! I give much thanks to my betas and all the support in the Writer's Den Discord channel!

Minerva McGonagall had spent the better part of the last three days as a spotted tabby cat, flitting through the various trees and paving walls up and down Privet Drive, observing the comings and goings of various families, especially those of Mister and Missus Number Four. The weeks leading up to Samhain of 1981, Voldemort’s forces had gotten particularly militant, and more Order Members had died in the last month than the last year combined. Several prominent light and neutral families had gone into hiding under Dumbledore’s protection; although, Minerva deeply frowned at his decision to scatter them among several Boltholes protected by Fidelius. The Secret-Keeper ritual was quite a powerful protection, but many of the Noble and Most Ancient Manors had centuries-old Wards and Protections long since lost or thought to be lost, several that if performed today may land those responsible very hefty fines if not stints in Azkaban. For reasons beyond her understanding, Dumbledore had in his infinite wisdom decided that she needed to spend this blistering November morning in a (to her knowledge) completely muggle neighborhood watching the domestic squabbles of some of the most dysfunctional of people she’d had the displeasure to witness.

            As Vernon Dursley walked out of his house to retrieve the paper, an obese man in slippers and a tattered grey bathrobe whose perpetual anger made his face shift between several shades of currant. He scowled at the slightly damp muggle newspaper, giving a beady squint to the new BMW sitting in the driveway of Mister and Missus Number Six before shuffling back into the house, yelling something that Minerva couldn’t hear.

            Vernon Dursley was always a quite surly individual, but today was leading to be one for the record books. His performance at Grunnings was always sterling on paper, but there were several new hires in the accounting department that he believed were starting to get suspicious. He would have to work that much harder to push for the senior managerial position by the end of the Quarter so he could get those accountants fired for incompetence. Vernon sat down at the kitchen table next to his lovely son and wife. The boisterous infant was banging his fists in his high chair, scattering cheerios all over the floor. “Oh Diddikins, we don’t do that with our food,” his wife Petunia cooed, trying to calm the flustered tot and convince him to eat some of the breakfast that he hadn’t yet sent all over the place.

            “Vernon Darling,” Petunia said, “Marjorie called. She said that she would be delighted to come down for the holidays as soon as you can confirm when you’ll be off work.”  
            Vernon grumbled, downing his coffee, “I’ll give her a call myself. With luck dearest Marge will get to see Dudley in a little more than a month.” He smiled, grabbing his coat and standing, “I’m off to work now dear, I’ll see you tonight.”

 

            A particularly speckled tabby cat scowled, hissing as her eyes almost seemed to follow the portly man back out of his driveway and head down the street. It darted down the street and into the alley before seemingly melting into the shadows.

            Moments later the same cat was standing outside of a large wrought iron gate, and Minerva McGonagall strode up the gravel walk to Hogwarts, the wrinkled witch with a tight bun walking quickly with an air of determination and cold fury. Once inside the castle she very quickly found herself standing in front of two large very menacing looking granite golems. She looked up at them and intoned, “Sugar Quills.” The golems gave her a solemn nod, parting to the side to reveal a plush revolving staircase which she quickly embarked upon.  
           

            The Door at the top of the staircase lead to a lavishly plush office. A centuries-old mahogany desk sat before a regal and extremely ornate mauve chair that could really only be described as a throne. Hundreds of portraits lined the walls, most of the figures sleeping, as well as the violently red bird sitting at a nearby perch. A sagely man of over 15 decades was sitting in his chair and grinning, his midnight blue eyes twinkling at McGonagall.  
            “Ah, Minerva, just the person I wanted to see. I take it that your little task for me went well. May I offer you a liquorice rope?” He eagerly pushed the dish of assorted candies towards his coworker.”  
            Minerva sat in the chair opposite the Headmaster with a shake of her head, “No thank you Albus.” She muttered politely, “What kind of a mission were you sending me on anyway? I’ve been watching quite possibly the worst muggles I have ever witnessed for days on end without you telling me anything about them! Given the rumors I’ve heard from some quite loose-lipped individuals, I’m not even sure if the Order has purpose anymore!

 

            A few minutes before, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore allowed himself a wide smile as he sat alone in his office. All of the pieces of his plan were coming into place nicely. The Potters were dead, the Longbottoms might as well be. With Black, the Lestranges, and Malfoy currently in prison, he finally had enough pull in the courts and dirt on the Minister he was named Chief Warlock in an emergency session just hours ago. A few more careful manipulations and he would be receiving his third Order of Merlin by the end of the year. And the girl! She absolutely reeked with Dark Magic. In one fell swoop he would control untold riches and be the man who slain three of histories Darkest Wizards before he turned 200.

            When Minerva came into his office, he offered his same outward grandfatherly mask, quickly and subtly scanning the surface of her mind, finding only what he would expect from the fiery Scotswoman. There was a reason why she was the head of the Lion’s, he mused. He steepled his fingers together in contemplation, “I’m afraid Minerva that you are only half correct. Yes, Tom is defeated, but at an extreme cost. Godric’s Hollow is destroyed, and Lily and James Potter have been slain.  
            All of the color drained from Minerva’s face, “S-slain? What of the Fidelius? What of Little Harriet?” She let out a sob, pulling a tartan handkerchief from her robes to dab at her face with.  
            “I do not know who Sirius told the secret too, but the wards alerted me shortly after 10 last night that several of them had been completely destroyed. I apparated over as quickly as I could, but alas, the damage had been done.”  
            “And the girl Albus? What of little Harriet?”

            “Miraculously alive. It appears that Lilly’s love for the girl was too strong to allow for such an atrocious act to occur. In Tom’s attempt to take the child’s life, he ended up losing his own.”  
            Minerva blinked, attempting to process this. Survived the Killing Curse? Slaying the Dark Lord? A not yet eighteen-month-old babe? “But Albus, Sirius was the girl’s Godfather, we need to track him down!” She demanded, but Dumbledore held up a hand to stop her.  
            “Sirius was apprehended early this morning by Alastor. It seems that he has succumb to the Black Madness. After betraying the Potters, he tracked down Pettigrew and slayed him in cold blood along with 13 muggles. They found him in an alley admitting to everything. He’s already been transported to Azkaban.” Albus explained calmly, the long ornate robes that he wore easily concealed his hand and Alder wand, which he was pointing at Minerva and weaving complex enchantments wordlessly.  
            Minerva sat dumbfounded, racked with shock and confusion as she attempted to process Albus’s words. “That poor girl, after all she’s done for us. Where will she stay Albus?”  
  
            Albus flashed a wide grin, “No need to worry about that at all Minerva. I’ve got everything arranged. While the DMLE are investigating Sirius they have sealed the Potter’s will, but I’ve found the next best thing. I have been maintaining correspondence with Lily’s muggle sister Petunia. She and her husband have a child the exact same age as our Harriet. I have no doubt that they will grow up to be the best of friends and she will be surrounded by a family that loves her. With a final flick of his wand, Minerva’s memories of the family she’d been investigating would be completely mundane, absolutely nothing to complain about.  
            “I’m having Poppy give the girl one final checkup to make sure that she’s in good shape, then I’ll have Hagrid deliver her to her Aunt’s. If that’s all, I think I must go see how she’s doing.” Albus bowed, walking Minerva out of her office and sending her in the direction of her office, the woman thoroughly confused, but she would ultimately process all these feelings as deep grief over losing among the closest thing she had to family.

            Once Albus had gotten Minerva out of the way, he had used his private floo to quickly appear in the Hogwarts Infirmary. Poppy Pomfrey had spent the last six hours doting over the Hospital Wing’s only current occupant. Albus trusted the mediwitch to care for the Infant Harriet of course, as she was currently under an extremely powerful Imperius. He dismissed her to his office, glad for the work that she’d done before walking to the crib and examining the girl. Yes, she would do quite nicely. He raised his wand and pointed it at her forehead, ready to make some final adjustments.

 

* * *

 

            The morning of November 3rd, 1981 was quite cold and rainy in Southend, England. Petunia Dursley would make her way to the front door at just past 6, mostly to scowl at Mister Number 6 as he left for work. The car he drove was much too nice and he carried himself far too suspiciously. What Petunia would not have expected to find was a basket on her doorstep. A basket with a sleeping infant, perhaps a bit bitten by the cold but perfectly peaceful. She very quickly hissed, “Vernon!” before moving the bundle inside before it could be seen by anybody else. The last thing the two needed were questions about a baby of all things.

            “Pet, what’s going on?” Vernon frowned, slowly turning progressively more purple as he sees the bundle, “I know an orphanage. Wait until tonight, I’ll take care of everything.” He said determinedly.

            “No Vernon.” She said with trembling fingers, clutching a piece of parchment in her hand, a letter with a cracked wax seal on the coffee table.  
  
            “ _Dearest Petunia Dursley nee Evans,_

_On the Night of October the 31 st, the man that you know as Lord Voldemort murdered in cold blood Lily and James Potter. As the last living member of her family, I am leaving you in custody of Harriet Alice Potter, the savior of the wizarding world. You will be compensated **handsomely** for this, all I ask is that you raise the girl as you see fit. When she turns eleven, a representative from Hogwarts will remove her to retrieve her for school. Ten years is all I ask._

_Sincerely, A.P.W.B.D_ ”  
  
            Petunia reread the letter for a third time as the subtle magics soaked into the ink washed over the woman. “We cannot take her to the orphanage. She’s Lily’s girl. People would start to ask questions. Who knows how long she’s been on our doorstep, No doubt that someone has already seen her. We’ll have to take care of her.” Petunia looked at her husband, “The person who brought her to us promises that her expenses will be taken care of.”

            Vernon frowned. He knew all about Lily and James and the two’s _freakishness_. The girl would likely be as much of a freak as them. His lip curled as he considered what Petunia was saying. If all they had to do is pretend like they took care of her, he could easily appear almost philanthropic, a savior of the poor girl while he saw exactly how much money they were offering for the girls experiences.

 

* * *

 

 

Not quite ten years later, the woman known as Aunt Petunia would hammer on the cupboard door at just past five, “Girl! You ungrateful little shit. Wake up! You need to start breakfast and then I have an entire list of things for you to get done before this evening!”

The occupant of the closet would begin to stir, peeling herself from the ratty crib mattress that was about as thick as one might expect in a prison. Scrambling for the chain pull, the girl finally managed to turn on the room’s sole bare lightbulb which she had managed to filch from under the sink after several months of darkness, illuminating the extremely cramped cupboard. A wiry thin girl would sit up, peeling herself from blood-soaked sheets as she affixed her glasses to her face, frowning as the ruined bridge kept the lenses from aligning correctly.

Harriet Potter would spend the few precious moments that she had before Aunt Petunia would start complaining to check over the myriad of bruises that spotted large portions of her body. The majority of the fresh belt marks were already a mottled sickly green, and the older ones were already beginning to fade, leaving angry red scars. She would pull on a shirt that was about five sizes too big if she were a boy and some baggy sweats. After being escorted out of her cupboard with a scowl, she was escorted to the downstairs bathroom where she was given a precisely timed two minutes to use the loo and rinse off in the shower not hooked up to hot water.  
           

Once her aunt was somewhat satisfied with the girl’s hygiene, she set the frail girl to cook the eggs and sausages. While Harriet’s chin barely reached the threshold of the stove, she had very quickly figured out how to cook the breakfast without burning it or herself, or the consequences would be severe. She split the food generously between three plates, knowing that her breakfast of stale toast would be offered when and if her aunt felt she deserved it. Ever since the girl was old enough to walk, she’d been in charge of as many chores that Petunia and Vernon could lay onto her. Cooking, cleaning, painting, weeding, even doing Dudley’s homework before she was allowed to do her own. Naturally her homework had to contain more mistakes, lest her grades possibly be better than her oafish cousins. Failing to do so, or even if they simply decided that they wanted to, would lead to beatings, whippings, and spankings. They would leave her locked in her cramped closet for weeks at a time with little or no food or water. Harriet would find solace in this, as the more time she spent in her closet was time she could spend resting and recovering from the beatings.  
  
            “Dudders! Breakfast is ready!” Petunia called, a loud thunderous response from the stairs the response. A large force collided with Harriet with a “Move it, Freak!” Sending the girl to the floor shoulder first. She felt a sickening pain as her shoulder dislocated.

Vernon came shuffling after Dudley, the paper tucked under one arm, scowling at Harriet, “Get up girl! I know that Petunia set chores for you to do, I want them done before I get home this evening or else! Harriet, knowing better to rebut, simply scrambled to pull herself up, giving a silent nod before exiting out of the back door to begin her first task, weeding the Rosebushes without gloves.

After twelve grueling hours of work with little but a bottle of room temperature water to get her through it, Harriet was finally allowed to crawl back into her cupboard, listening to the latch closed, sealing her in for another night. She was absolutely _exhausted_ as she stretched out on the thin mattress. Harriet reached behind the boxes and found one of her most precious treasures, flicking on the flashlight as she watched the numerals tick by on Dudley’s worn-once digital watch. 11:59…Midnight. With tears in her eyes, Harriet whispered, “Happy Birthday Harriet.” Before switching off the flashlight and drifting off to sleep.


	2. Discoveries and Demiguise Mucus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of those chapters that really got away from me. Lots of writing little pieces here and there and soon what I planned for one chapter gets turned into three. I want to thank my Beta Cats as well as everyone else at the Writer's Den Discord, without whose support this story would be sitting half written and unrevised to never see the light of day. 
> 
> Please give me your comments! I want to hear how you think of things so far and I'll try to answer any questions or critiques you might have! 
> 
> Chapter 3 is already written out and should be published today.

Severus Prince was never the most patient of people, but heaven help anybody who try to interrupt him in the middle of one of his brews. He was studying this particular brew for his column in the next edition of _Potioneer’s Quarterly_. Not only was it extremely tricky to make, the ingredients were also rare and very expensive. Severus had searched high and low to find someone in the United Kingdom that would be willing to sell him Fire Crab Shells. He didn’t even find them in Knockturn or Antekloc Alley. He stormed his way up towards Dumbledore’s office. The anger was rolling off him in waves. What could the blasted coot want that required him to take his attention away from the precise heating of demiguise mucus? He snarled the password at the gargoyle, who quickly shuffled out of the way as he marched up the stairs with a flourish of his cape.

He burst open the door without bothering to knock. He gave a knowing glance to Minerva. The Deputy Headmistress was currently sitting at a desk, supervising the Book of Names fill the registry for the year, automatically writing letters and identifying Muggleborn students who require a home visit. Severus’s lip curled. He had been dreading this semester for a long time. The Potter girl would finally be stalking the halls, undoubtedly with the air of superiority of her father. Dumbledore had told Severus at every opportunity how much the family she’d been living with doted upon her. He loathed the day he would have to teach the spoiled dunderheaded princess.

“Ah, Severus! Just the man I wanted to see.” Albus smiled, “Lemon Drop?” He offered the tin full of muggle candies to the man, grandfatherly twinkle in his eyes.

“Unfortunately Albus I am quite busy. I don’t have time for your latest discovery in mundane confectionary.” He sneered, “What did you need that was so important? I’m in the middle of a very important potion that is quite temperamental even under the effects of a stasis charm.”

“Well my boy, I hadn’t had a clue!” Dumbledore smiled, even when the two of them knew this was a complete lie, “I just wanted to let you know that I’ve just had a lovely lunch with Oswald Flourish. He needs to confirm the booklist for this year if he’s going to have enough stock for the rush next week.”

If Severus hadn’t maintained a level of practiced patience and Occlumency shields that had at several points been a literal matter of life and death, Severus may very well had throttled the man to death here and there. Taking a few practiced breaths, he bowed,

“My syllabus is as it has been for the last ten years, Headmaster. Arsenius Jigger’s writings have produced extremely satisfactory instruction, as I would remind you of my as-of yet unblemished fatality record.” Severus intoned with practiced politeness and straightforwardness, knowing the best practices to get out of a conversation with Albus as quickly as possible.

“Good, good! If you believe so my boy, then I have no reason to distrust you. I believe Griselda was just telling me over tea not a fortnight ago that last semester had the best Potions OWLs in several centuries. I’ll be sure to send my missive to Mister Blourish with your book list this afternoon.” He popped another lemon candy into his mouth, spending a moment to savor it.

“If that will be all.” Severus drawled with a half-bow, moving to leave. Suddenly the door swung open, presenting the solid form of Hagrid, the half-giant gameskeeper. Towering almost a full two and a half feet over the potions master, Hagrid lumbered into the room, stumbling. Severus swiftly moved out of the way before Hagrid tripped over him.

“Good, good, thank you for coming Hagrid. I’ve just received a letter from Nicholas that we must discuss. The appointment at Gringotts-“

The conversation became muffled as Severus closed the door behind him, his trademark scowl returning with a vengeance. Albus and his idiotic schemes. Wanting to hide something as precious and coveted as the Philosophers Stone at Hogwarts! The so-called “defensive measures” that Albus had ordered each professor to prepare was a complete joke. A half-witted fourth year could figure out the puzzles currently being put into place, and his sixth years brewed stronger poisons than the one he was instructed to place in the final antechamber.

As Severus began to descend the stairs, he paused. A slightly crumpled letter was sitting face down on the floor. He recognized that it was stamped with the official wax seal of the school. Was it a letter being returned to the headmaster? Albus’s Phoenix usually handled all his mail directly, so why is it in the hallway? He bent down to pick up the letter, flipping it over to examine the sender.  
  


_Ms. H. Potter_

_The Cupboard Under The Stairs_

_Number Four, Privet Drive_

_Little Whinging, Surrey_

 

Anybody watching would witness a very rare occasion indeed. Severus Snape-Prince lost his perfectly crafted composure. His nose flaring, he made his way to the nearest empty classroom, lighting the hearth with a flick of his wand and angrily tossing in a pinch of floo powder, muttering the password for his private office and walking into the emerald flames.

Sitting down at his desk, he conjured a crystal glass as he pulled open one of his desk drawers. He opened an extremely ornate bottle of vintage cognac and poured the amber fluid into a glass. Severus only poured from this vintage when he was particularly stressed. It had been a Yule gift from Minerva, one of the few people on staff he respected. Taking a long swig of his drink, he reached into his cloak and pulled out his ebony wand. He raised it over the letter and murmured several incantations. A swirl of colors, dark blues and purples swam over the letter as his detection spells activated. His scowl deepened, this was getting worse by the moment.

“Mipsy!” He barked. His personal house-elf appeared in front of him with a crack, dressed in a high quality acromantula silk tea towel embossed with the Prince crest. “What can Mipsy’s be doing for Masters Prince?” She said, standing at attention. “I need you to go to my quarters at home and go into my desk. I give you permission with the family magic to open the third drawer from the bottom on the left. There will be a brown leather book with pictures and documents both muggle and magical. Please bring it to me.” Severus commanded.

“Yes Masters, Mipsy’s will be right back!” She said confidently, disapparating with a loud crack.

Severus slumped against his chair, pouring another drink. For all that he’d despised James Potter and Sirius Black’s antics, they were nothing compared to the hell he’d experienced from Tobias Snape. If a child, if _Lily’s_ child, had to experience even half of what he’d gone through, Severus would never forgive himself. He’d thrown himself at the mercy of the Dark Lord, undergone countless cruciatus curses, just to ensure that the girl would grow up with her mother. He picked up the letter again, frowning. Privet Drive, that sounded extremely familiar.

Another loud crack and Mipsy returned, placing an extremely worn leather binder on his desk. Severus gave his house elf a nod, “Thank you Mipsy, that will be all.” He murmured, dismissing the elf as he opened the book.

The book contained an eclectic collection of photographs and letters, both magical and muggle. It was a book that Severus never showed to another soul. The book contained almost everything he still had that came from Lilly Potter or Eileen Prince. He quickly found what he was looking for. A crisp parchment, its charm keeping it as fresh as it was the day that it was written.

 

“ _Severus,_

_I’m so happy to hear that you received your mastership. Old Bathilda Bagshot told me that you were the youngest potion master in five centuries, and if anybody were to earn that title it would be you. I know that you’ll do great things some day and your brews will truly transform the world._

_I miss you almost every day. James keeps insisting that Dumbledore has our best interests in mind, that absolutely nothing could possibly go wrong under his watch, but I’m not so sure. We’re supposed to move again next week, Mad Eye wants us and the Longbottoms in separate locations. Alice is completely besides herself._

_Tuney got married to that absolutely horrid oaf Vernon. He was at our wedding spending the whole time complaining about dress robes and people walking around without shoes. She told me that Vernon’s new job has gotten them a house in Surrey, a neighborhood called Little Whinging. I’ll have to ask Fabian and Gideon next week what they know about basic defensive wards that won’t step on the Statute of Secrecy._

_Little Harriet is growing every day. She’s going to grow up to be a firecracker just like her mother. I hope that very soon I can convince somebody to see some sense and attend the next Order Meeting, I would love to show you to her in person._

_You always have my love,_

_Lily”_

Vernon and Petunia? That bastard put Harriet with Vernon and Petunia Dursley? Severus was horrorstruck, downing one of the calming draughts he kept on his person to prevent himself from flying into a murderous rage. Albus Dumbledore put the Girl Who Lived with the most magic-despising muggle in England! And she was living in a broom cupboard!

Headed to his private stores, Severus collected phials of Skelegro, Calming Draught, Apollo’s Tears, Persephone’s Blessing, Blood Replenishers, and Dittany. He threw his travel cloak on. It magically wrapping securely around him, he tossed a fistful of floo into the fireplace and shouted, “Malfoy Manor!” disappearing in a flash.

 


	3. Familiars and Dire Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 3 as promised! This one gets dark, really dark, so warning when you get to the end, but I promise that things will get better next chapter! 
> 
> As always, love to my beta and your comments keep me going!

To say that Harriet’s eleventh birthday could have been going better was an understatement. She’d woken up at six AM sharp as was usual. Aunt Petunia had a few hateful comments about how unruly her long wavy black hair had gotten. Her hair was now to the point where it was brushing the small of her back. Harriet was rushed into the bathroom, where she used the toilet and washed herself. The ten minutes that she got to do this in the morning would be all that she would get until tonight before bed.

The old stove in the kitchen was acting extremely finicky, and it took Harriet the better part of twenty minutes to get it lit. Naturally, this earned her a fresh earful from her uncle. As she started scrambling eggs, Dudley shuffled into the kitchen. Greedily unwrapping present after present without thanks, he loudly complained that he was receiving two less presents than he did the previous year. Petunia defused the situation by telling him that they would buy him three more presents later in the day.

Harriet would have done anything to stay with the batty Mrs. Figg from down the way instead of going to the Zoo. Even if Mrs. Figg’s house smelled awfully of cats, Harriet could eat and read, even sit and join Mrs. Figg in watching television. Much to the frustration of both her and Aunt Petunia, Mrs. Figg had fallen and shattered her leg last week and was now in the hospital. Because of this, Harriet found herself in the back of Uncle Vernon’s cramped compact car, wedged between Dudley and Piers Polkiss who were taking turns using her like a punching bag.

Being at the Zoo was actually quite refreshing. Out of the car Dudley and Piers seemed too busy harassing animals to pay attention to Harriet. When everyone was getting sweets, the very nice ice cream attendant asked her what she wanted also. Flustered, Vernon had quickly ordered her a lemon ice to not make a scene. It was the cheapest thing on the menu, but the cool refreshing treat was that much sweeter with the look on Vernon’s face that he made watching her enjoy it.

Following that debacle her aunt and uncle distanced themselves so that onlookers wouldn’t associate her with them. This was fine with Harri, who leisurely strolled from exhibit to exhibit, reading the plaques with great interest. Harri had never been allowed to go on any school excursions, so seeing the different exotic animals was quite the experience, the hippopotami and rhinoceroses were particularly eye opening.

Harriet groaned as she entered the herpetological exhibit. She already heard Dudley and Piers running through what was supposed to be a quiet hall, shouting and causing mayhem. Skulking in the shadows, she soon found herself in front of a snake exhibit featuring specimens from the jungles of Vietnam. Many of the snakes seemed to be sleeping, basking in the light of the numerous heat lamps. One dark blue snake with glittering scales was slithering out of a cave carved out of a very large rock, it’s belly was clearly distended with prey.

Harri chuckled, “ _$I can see you had a very good lunch, I hope it was tasty$”_

The snake turned its head, eyes focused on Harri, tongue flitting wildy, _“$Ssspeaker! I have never encountered a Speaker, thisss one hass been in awful cage ssince just after hatching$”_ The snake nodded eagerly, enticed with the girl.

Harriet blinked, a look of shock on her face, _“$You can understand me? You’re a snake that speaks English?$”_

The snake shook its head, “ _$No! Speaker is speaking the tongue of snakes! Only powerful wizards and witches have the tongue of snakes. You must be most powerful for a Hatchling!$”_

Harriet was dumbstruck. Tongue of snakes? She was just speaking English. A powerful Wizard? Harriet had read books about Merlin and King Arthur in the library at school but that was just bedtime stories! Aliens had a better chance of being real than wizards.

Harriet was about to ask another question when a heavy force crashed into her. She flew through the air, slamming down on the unforgiving concrete. Her glasses skittered off her face, leaving her to scramble around blind.

 “Look Piers, look!” Dudley shouted. He didn’t even look twice at the girl he had carelessly collided with, “This one is moving!” He pointed out the dark snake Harri had been talking to, rapping on the glass obnoxiously with his fat fist after every word to punctuate his point.

Harriet moaned, gingerly sitting up and grabbing for her glasses. She could feel at least two ribs bruised, and the girl hoped that her wrist wasn’t broken. Grabbing her limp arm, she forced it to straighten with a wince. She scowled up at Dudley, watching the snakes cower in pain as the loud plexiglass reverberated throughout the enclosure.

Or at least it was. Suddenly Dudley tumbled over himself with a shriek, falling into the enclosure. The glass had completely disappeared. Panic broke out as snakes began to escape, slithering out of their pens and towards the crowd. Hordes of people scrambled for the exit while Vernon and Petunia rushed to save Dudley. Harriet finally found her glasses, replacing them on her face to find the snake that she’d been talking to curled up before her.

 _“$You have freed me Ssspeaker, I will protect you now.$”_ He said with determination, crawling towards her.

_“$No, I can’t bring you home! Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia will kill me! I don’t have anything to feed you with!$”_

_“$Ssspeaker can feed me using the familiar bond, and I will protect Ssspeaker from awful humanss that attack her!$”_

Familiar bond- What was he talking about? The serpent jutted out, climbing up Harriet’s arm and sinking his fangs into her bicep. It wasn’t painful, Harriet actually felt a rush of relief. Her pain was numbed, and she felt a flush of new energy. She looked down where she’d been bitten, expecting a large bite, but instead there was a tattoo, and it was moving! She quickly covered it with the baggy sleeves of the hand me down she was wearing.

~Ssspeaker, I am happy your magic hass accepted me as your familiar~ a familiar voice said in the back of Harriet’s head.

~F-familiar? How are you speaking to me?~ She thought, alarmed.

~Sspeaker’s magic has accepted me as her familiar! Now that we ssshare magics we can communicate by thought and our magics and bodies will grow with each other. I am an amphitere and you are a powerful wizard, together we will make the others cower!~

~O-okay, you need a name, how about Shiva?~

~Ssshiva will protect Ssspeaker!~

Vernon had cut his way through the commotion and pulled Dudley out of the exhibit. The boy was no worse for wear beyond being a little wet. Vernon gave Harriet a look of pure hate, bellowing, “GIRL, UP, NOW!” He foist her by the injured arm and dragged her towards the exit. Harriet was very quickly deposited in the car.

Very quickly they left the zoo. With Harriet secured in the car, Petunia examined every inch of her Duddikins like he was a Fabergé egg. Vernon had some extremely angry words with the timid manager who had absolutely no explanation to what had happened. After Vernon had yelled until the veins in his neck looked like they were about to burst, the manager called an assistant. In addition to giving them a full refund, Dudley was allowed to pick out any five things that he wanted from the gift shop.

The ride home was extremely tense. Harriet had been replaced in the middle by Piers at the insistence of Aunt Petunia, who wanted to put as much distance between her and Dudley as possible. Harri could tell from Vernon’s posture that he was absolutely livid. From all of the glances that he kept making at her from the driver mirror, Harriet knew that all of his anger was directed at her.

Harriet had barely crossed the threshold into the house before she was knocked to the ground again, a large fist colliding with her cheek and sending her to the ground. Her glasses made a sickening crunch, the lenses shattering as they collided with the ground.

 “YOU ABSOLUTE FREAK! I TOLD YOU WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU EXHIBITED ANY MORE OF YOUR FREAKISHNESS.” Vernon bellowed, pulling off his belt and brandishing it, “HOW DARE YOU ATTEMPT TO HURT MY BOY, AND YOU HUMILIATED HIM AND US IN PUBLIC!” He brought the belt down, the large brass buckle cutting her flesh of her back even though she was wearing a shirt. “WE BRING YOU INTO OUR HOUSE, WE FEED YOU, WE CLOTH YOU.” He emphasized every point with a fresh strike, “THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY US? WHEN I’M DONE YOU’LL NEVER SHOW ANY OF YOUR FREAKISHNESS EVER AGAIN!”

Harriet was in tears. She attempted to sob out an apology as she crawled towards the safety of her cupboard. Her head was swimming, and there were spots in her eyes. Every fresh sting of the belt against her back made her slick with blood. The last thing that she saw before blacking out was the door bursting open and several unfamiliar figures entering the house.

 


	4. A Timely Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story finally starts to get the ball rolling! Thanks always to Cats and all my supporters. 
> 
> Comments help feed the updates! Leave a comment if you want more updates faster!

     Severus stepped out of the floo into Lucius Malfoy’s office quickly, wordlessy vanishing the soot from his cloak. Lucius stood from his desk, “Severus, what is going on?” The well composed blonde asked. Lucius Malfoy was sharp enough to know that if his friend was in such a state it required immediate action.

     “Lucius, we must work quickly. I need you to summon Amelia Bones. Is Narcissa around?” He asked, knowing that the woman’s maternal instincts and knowledge as a healer could be key.

     “Yes, she is. Dobby!” Lucius shouted, the floppy-eared elf popped into the room, “Tell Narcissa to come to my office immediately.” He commanded. Dobby nodded, popping away with a snap of his fingers while Lucius threw a handful of floo powder into the hearth and shoving his head into the emerald flames.

     Narcissa Malfoy appeared with a look of bewilderment, lips pursing as she came into the room, eyes darting between Severus and Lucius’s head in the fireplace, “Afternoon Severus, to what honor do we owe your presence?” She asked formally, her frustrated demand to know what was going on in the underlying tone.

     “I was just going to explain that.” He began as Lucius emerged from the Floo with an attractive but stern looking woman stepping through, “Madam Bones, thank you for joining us.”

     “Lucius said this was some sort of emergency?” Amelia Bones asked largely rhetorically. Lucius Malfoy was never one to ask for favors, for all of the money that he donated to the DMLE. As she had risen from the ranks to director Amelia had been keeping a close eye on Lucius’s political machinations. The son of Abraxas had been molded to be just as cutthroat as the Senior Malfoy had, and it’d shown in spades. Whether or not his Imperius defense was genuine as he’d lead the court to believe or absolute bull, Lucius had kept his nose clean and his charitable contributions high, so when he came to Amelia requesting her immediate presence in her capacity as Director, she felt compelled to listen.

     “The emergency is Harriet Potter.” Severus uttered tersely, “I have good reason to believe that the girl has not been raised as we believe, and as such may be in danger.”

     Amelia took a sharp breath. One of the things that she’d protested loudly from her beginning at the ministry was the hands-off approach they had taken with the Girl Who Lived. Milicent Bagnold and Cornelius Fudge might trust Albus too-many-titles Dumbledore implicitly enough to ignore every procedure the ministry had regarding magical orphans, but Amelia did not.

     The Ministry had always taken the laws and regulations regarding magical orphans extremely seriously. Following the war, the Wizengamot had expanded the Wizarding Orphan Office greatly. The fact that Albus had somehow just whisked her away to a location that he absolutely refused to tell anyone was highly suspect, the fact that the Goblins had refused to unseal the Potter will infinitely more so.

     Severus raised the letter, “Harriet Potter’s Hogwarts letter.” He placed on the desk for the others to examine, “I have personally checked its authenticity twice, but doubtless that you’d like to check yourself.” The others went to the letter with their own wands, murmuring spells similar to the ones that Severus performed in his office.  
     “The Cupboard Under the Stairs?” Narcissa sneered, “Is this some sort of sick joke?”

     “I’m afraid not. The Book of Names is enchanted to automatically fill in the address most befitting the witch or wizard the letter is meant for, bound by the magical signature that they are registered with.” He explained, “I regret to say that I am aware of the owners of that address. Petunia Dursley nee Evans and her oafish muggle husband Vernon.”

     Lucius scoffed angrily, “Dumbledore gave the Potter Heiress to be raised by Muggles?”

     “Not only that Lucius, but muggles that absolutely despite magic.” Severus scowled, “I had the unfortunate displeasure of growing up with Petunia Evans. Her hatred of her sister and magic only grew deeper every year. I can only imagine how she would react to her dear niece’s bouts of accidental magic.”

     Amelia Bones was going to require _exceptional_ restraint to not flay Albus Dumbledore alive. She’d been at the Potter’s wedding as a bridesmaid. She knew exactly how awful the kind of people the Dursleys were. Raising her darling Susan after the death of her beloved brother required delicate care. If there was even a hair out of place she would have found the girl a better guardian, and this letter claims that her guardians are having her live out of a broom cupboard!

     “Severus.” She snarled, “I take it that you’ve assembled an assortment of medical potions?”

     “As many as I could. When we extricate her I can meet her more specific needs as Narcissa diagnoses.”

     “Then there’s no time to lose.” She raised her wand, “As my right as the head of the department of magical law enforcement, I hereby give the three of you the right to perform magic up to and including stunners in the presence of muggles in the rescue of Harriet Potter from Number Four Privet Drive, so mote it be.” Her wand tip glowed green in affirmation.

 

* * *

 

 

         With Narcissa giving explicit instructions to Dobby about Draco, the four of them apparated to a woody glen just off the end of number twelve. They marched down the road towards number four, the subtle notice-me-not charm around them causing anybody who happened to glance in their direction to ignore them.

          They arrived not a moment too soon. Severus practically kicked the door down, giving the four wizards the sight of Vernon Dursley violently beating his Niece. Four wands went up, four voices shouting “IMPEDIMENTA” as they entered the house. Two beams struck Vernon, another struck Petunia who was now frozen in surprise and Dudley who had tried to flee.

          “Petunia, so nice to see you again.” Severus’s deadpanned, voice absolutely dripping with poison, “It’s good to see that you got married, I must have missed the invitation in my mail.”

          Narcissa was hovering over the bloodied girl, murmuring spells, “She’s out cold, her heart is very weak.” She explained angrily, “I need to get her back to the manor immediately.”  
  
          Amelia wasn’t going to argue. Narcissa was just as qualified of a Healer as anyone in the Saint Mungos emergency ward, and it would be best to avoid the press. With Severus passing Narcissa the satchel of potions, the woman wrapped an arm around the limp girl and grasped her Celtic cross with her free hand, the portkey whisking the two away.

          “Vernon and Petunia Dursley.” Amelia huffed, her wand pointed at Vernon’s throat while she summoned all the energy she could to remain professional, “You are both under arrest for more laws than I care to mention. Your Guardianship of Harriet Alice Potter is immediately forfeit. When we are finished with our Investigation Aurors will come to arrest you. Incarcerous!”

          Tight black ropes quickly bound Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley by the hands and feet, a hover charm placing the frozen couple on the couch, the boy in a nearby chair.

          “Amelia, you’re going to want to see this.” Lucius muttered.

          It was exactly as bad as it looked. A cramped, dark cupboard, musty and unclean. The mattress from a basinet or crib laid in the middle, soaked with blood and covered with a thin ratty sheet. A crumpled piece of muggle notebook paper with the words “Harri’s Room” written extremely crudely with crayon was displayed next to a small collection of what appeared to be broken figurines.  
  
          Severus wanted to vomit. He had _failed_ Lily. Everything that he’d done in his life had led to this. If he hadn’t heard that godsdamned prophecy, this never would have happened. Lucius simply looked stoic, his emotions settled well behind his mask. He placed a hand on the shoulder of his longtime friend and squeezed.

          “Amelia, unless you have further need of us, I believe that Severus should return to the manor in case Narcissa is in need of supplies for the girl. It doesn’t seem like she has any other possessions that require retrieving.

          Amelia scowled, “Right. You two can leave, I can handle this from here. Severus, thank you for bringing this to my attention.” She nodded professionally as the two men left to portkey back as she conjured a patronus to retrieve Rufus Scrimgeour and John Proudfoot.

 

* * *

 

 

         Blackness swirled. Harriet was possibly as much pain as she had felt in her entire life. She was sure that Uncle Vernon had finally killed her. Despite the pain, she already felt like she was laying on a cloud. As she start to came to, Harriet realized with a great wave of depression that she was not in fact dead. Tears streamed down her face and she started to sob. She couldn’t possibly go back, not with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia!

          A cool hand brushed across her face, “Ssssh, it’s going to be alright dear.” An unfamiliar voice whispered. The voice was extremely soothing, a wave of calm washing over Harriet. “You’re going to be taken care of, I promise.”

          Harriet opened her eyes. Her glasses gone, she could only see around in a blurry haze. There was a woman looking at her with great concern, “Harriet, can you see me?” She asked plainly.  
          “Err, no, sorry.” Harriet said sheepishly, “I don’t have my glasses.”

          A round bottomed flask was pressed into her hands and guided to her lips, “I want you to drink this.” The woman explained, helping her drink it down. The syrupy liquid tasted unlike anything Harriet had ever had before, and smelled faintly of raspberries.

          There was suddenly a very curious buzzing behind Harriet’s eyes. It was almost as if several very frustrated bumblebees had taken residence in her skull. Then suddenly it became far **far** too bright. Painfully bright. Harriet clapped her hands over her eyes. Narcissa was saying something, but Harriet couldn’t hear.

          “…Oculus potion can be quite a shock as your eyes adjust. You should be able to see better now.”

          Harriet slowly removed her hands from her face, and suddenly she could _see._ Completely without her glasses, she saw things with a clarity that she’d never experienced before, even with her glasses! Everything was sharp and colors were vibrant. She was finally able to examine her surroundings.

          She was in a plush room that looked far too luxurious to be any kind of hospital, in a bed large enough to easily fit four people. The woman hovering over her was extremely beautiful, her ivory skin with flawless complexion and perfect proportions was smiling down at her.

          “Is that better dear?” She asked the blinking girl.

          “Oh, loads. I-I don’t know how to thank you.” Harriet choked.

          “You have no need to thank me, but if you can lie back and rest. You’re very hurt and you need to relax.” The woman explained.

          “W-Where am I?”

          “Oh, forgive me Harriet. My name is Narcissa Malfoy. This afternoon Severus Prince brought me, my husband Lucius, and a woman named Amelia Bones to your aunt and uncles house. Severus believed that you were being abused. Madam Bones is the director for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, so she came to legally remove you from their care. Lucius and I are good friends of Severus, so we came to help. I am a trained healer so I was able to stabilize you and am overseeing your recovery.”

          Harriet’s mind was spinning, “I don’t have to go back to live with the Dursley’s? What is the department of Magical Law Enforcement? I’ve never met a man named Severus Prince before?”

          Narcissa bit her lip, and Harriet could see that for a moment her fingers curled inward on themselves.

          “This might come as a shock Harriet. Your parents are-were, very powerful Wizards. You yourself have shown the potential to become a very powerful Witch since you were an infant. Severus Prince was a good friend of your Mother, but I’ll let him explain more about that to you himself. The department of Magical Law Enforcement is the legal branch of the government of Magical Britain.”

          Harriet reeled, but she thought back to all those moments of “freakishness”. Turning her teacher’s wig blue. Running away from Dudley and appearing three blocks down where she turned. Her hair growing back in less than a day.

         “So magic really is real?”

          Narcissa smiled, “Yes Harriet, magic is real. The potion that you drank to correct your vision was invented by an alchemist in 1468 named Carinus Black, who is many times your great grandfather. He’s mine as well.”

          Harriet gave a small smile, “So we’re related?”

          Narcissa leaned in and gave Harriet a cuddle, “Yes Harriet, we are related. If I’d known that you needed a better home a long time ago, I would have taken you in a heartbeat. So please, call me Aunt Cissa or Cissy.”

         The girl blinked back tears. She had a family, a family that actually loved her! “Y-yes Aunt Cissa. Th-thank you.

         Narcissa pulled her into a big hug, kissing her on the forehead. “Now I want you to drink this.” She said, offering Harriet a glass full of something that was a violent shade of purple, “It’s going to help you sleep, and you need time to heal. When you wake up we’ll see if you’re well enough to walk around.”

         Harriet nodded, drinking it down. It wasn’t the best tasting, but she felt the effects almost immediately. Giving a big yawn, she curled up under the extremely soft duvet and shut her eyes.

For the first time in ten years, Harriet Potter was able to fall asleep thinking that, just maybe, everything was going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that we didn't get to Severus, but I promise that we're getting to things! 
> 
> Why didn't Harri mention Shiva? Why didn't Shiva protect Harri more? Well Harri was sort of out of it and she currently doesn't have any reason to believe that talking to snakes is any more out of the ordinary than any of the other things that have been suddenly explained as magic. 
> 
> As for Shiva, he's still a hatchling. The Familiar bond boosts the magical core of both the Wizard and their Familiar, but Harri's is pretty weak for reasons that go into spoilers. In all likelihood the energy he was able to give Harri was the only thing that kept her alive long enough to be rescued. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this far and I hope you've enjoyed!


	5. Revelations and Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter took so long, but you'll see why! This monster of a chapter clocks in at >7000 words, which is twice as long as my average goal. I'm having to play a bit of catch-up in order to keep the pace going. I originally planned on Harri getting to Hogwarts in chapter 3! Now that this is out of the way I shouldnt (Life and Mind permitting) have any serious roadblocks. 
> 
> This chapter and story would have died at least three times if it weren't for my Beta Cats, Alanna_Rose, and all of the lovely wonderful people at the Writer's Den Discord. If you like the story or have a question, please leave a comment! Comments fuel my writing engine and keep me motivated.

Narcissa stood at the edge of the door, absolutely enraptured at the sight of Harriet falling asleep peacefully before tapping the handle, the door swinging closed completely silently. She placed her hand on the wall, using occlumency to quickly find her emotional center. The crumpled scroll in her fist showing the results of Harriet’s diagnostic elixir, made her shake with rage. The young girl’s entire medical history from birth was put to paper, and someone was going to _pay._

She entered the second-floor parlor, where Lucius and Severus were having a quiet discussion with drinks. Though they raised their head in acknowledgement, she wordlessly strolled over to the drinks cart and poured herself a glass of brandy.

“How is the girl?” Lucius asked, aware that Narcissa Malfoy née Black’s scowl indicated her vengeful temper.

Narcissa downing her drink tossed the scroll on the coffee table before them, “See for yourself.”

Blinking, Severus put down his tea, picking up the parchment and unfurling it. His face vacillated between shock and abject horror. He quietly passed the document to Lucius before picking up his cup and polishing off his tea. Perhaps firewhiskey would be better for the occasion.

 

Heads were going to roll. Severe burns, bruises, cuts, scrapes. Enough broken bones to make a professional beater blush. Even two occasions of sexual assault. The girl clearly hadn’t seen any sort of medical physician since Halloween of ’81, the lack of vaccinations and long-term damage from scarring and untreated diseases clearly showed.

“Circe’s Blessing..” Lucius murmured, rolling up the parchment tightly and locking it with a spell, “we’ll have to handle this carefully.”

Hours passed as plans were made. Lucius would go into the ministry as normal and start making discrete inquiries at the Wizarding Welfare Office, after sending Director Bones a few discrete owls. Narcissa would escort Harriet straight to Gringotts under a light glamour to undergo an inheritance test and a full magic and health diagnostic test. Severus would go to Hogwarts to run interference, making sure that Dumbledore hadn’t caught wind of the girl’s disappearance.

“Then it’s settled. Tomorrow we-” Lucius began, but was cut off by a ringing tone filling the air.

Narcissa stood, “That’ll be her waking up, I’ll go check on her.”

Severus shook his head, also standing, “No. I have… some things to say. You go see to Draco, he’ll need to hear the delicate version. If there’s anything I can’t handle, I’ll send for you.” He with confidence.

Lucius looked like he wanted to say something, seeing the pained expression on the normally stoic face of the Potion’s master, but nodded, “Agreed. Dragon hasn’t seen us since this morning, he’s heard the same stories about Potter that we all had.”

While Narcissa and Lucius went to the family wing to have a talk with Draco, Severus went to face the person he’d spent his entire life dreading to meet.

 

 

Harri woke up with a very familiar feeling. Her entire body from head to toe was extremely sore. It took a moment as she sat up to remember where she was and how she got there. She opened her eyes, blinking rapidly as everything came into focus, she was still unused to how bright and sharp things actually were.

There was a goblet on the table next to her, full of a clear liquid that didn’t give an off smell. She cautiously brought her lips to it and thankfully found water, eagerly drinking down the cool liquid. Harri finished it and set the goblet where it was, the cool liquid having soothed her throat.

The door opened. A tall pale extremely stern looking man strode into the room. He gazed at Harriet with a mixture of sadness and anger. Harriet swallowed, giving him a meek smile as she forced out a, “Hello.”

The man frowned, his face softening, “Hello Harriet, How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling fine sir.” She said plainly.

The man’s eyes flared, the edge of his mouth twitching, “yes, indeed.” Severus knew this was a lie. He reached into his robes and handed her a small phial of a cool green fluid, “this is a basic pain reliever. You are to take this.”  
  
Harriet accepted the potion with a nod, fidgeting with the cork and downing it in one go, her soreness replaced with a cool tingling wave. “Thank you.” She replaced the cork and sat the phial carefully on the bedside table.

He continued to stare at her with the same confusing expression for an awkward moment before clearing his throat.  
  
“Harriet, my name is Severus Prince.”

The name seemed familiar, “oh!” Harriet sat up, “Narcissa said that you f-found me, and that you knew my mother!” She bit her lip, “Thank you for finding me, I wasn’t sure… Uncle Vernon was really upset..”

He held a hand up to silence her, “There is no need to thank me, Harriet. I should be the one offering you an apology. Yes, I grew up with your mother, as well as her sister. Your mother and I went to school together, and we were… good friends.” He forced out the last two words, as if they were poisonous.

“Harriet, you should never have grown up with your Aunt and Uncle. A very powerful wizard who went by the name Lord Voldemort had gone after you. He’d been driven insane and lead a group of dark wizards called the Knights of Walpurgis. There was a prophecy, a foretelling of the future by a wizard known as a Seer. Many people don’t believe in prophecies, but Voldemort was a paranoid man. He went after your parents in order to stop the prophecy. I..I could have saved you but I wasn’t able to. If I had known that you were with your Aunt and Uncle, I would have tried to find you much earlier.” Severus’s voice was extremely hoarse, almost as if he were on the verge of sobbing.

Harriet was stunned. In the last 24 hours she’d been cared more about as a person than she could ever remember. This man that she barely knew had saved her from the very brink of death, and he was asking her for forgiveness!  
“Err..” Harriet bit her lip, “If he was as powerful as you say, I don’t know why I would blame you for not stopping him. It sounds like it would take a lot of people to stop him, and if he really wanted to go after my parents, that was his fault and not yours.” She blinked, “You were the one who saved me from my Aunt and Uncle. I didn’t even know that wizards were real before Shiva told me, I’m not sure how you’d have found me.”

Severus’s heart nearly stopped. He was confessing a decade of unspeakable sins to this nearly eleven-year-old girl, and she was forgiving him like he’d mildly inconvenienced her. Her green eyes, _Lily_ ’s eyes, were doeful, blinking up and burning a hole right through him.

“And who, pray tell, is Shiva?” He asked, a tight grip on his wand.

“Oh, My familiar?” She lifted her sleeve, exposing the tattoo crawling across her bicep. In moments, the Amphithere was curling on her shoulder, hissing at Severus and flexing his wings. He turned to Harriet, bobbing his head as the girl murmured to it with a strangled hiss.  
  
“ _You speak Parseltongue?”_ Severus asked, bewildered.

“Parseltongue?” Harriet wondered, stroking the reptile.

“The language of snakes. Where did you get an Amphithere?”  
“The London Zoo. It escaped on Dudley’s birthday. Do all wizards not speak Parseltongue?”

“No, it’s quite rare..” Severus frowned, running a hand across his face in bewilderment. “Amphithere are supposed to be all but extinct. To find one is quite the achievement.”

“Oh.” She turned and hissed at her snake. Severus flinched as he was reminded of the other Parseltongue in his life.

“He says he doesn’t know where he came from. An orphan just like me.”

_Of course Potter of all people would be the one to form a familiar bond with one of the last remaining members of a thought to be dying species._

“I see. Well there should be several books in the Malfoy library for reference, but if you are in need of assistance with him at school you may find me in my office.”

Severus waved his wand over her, muttering a few diagnostic spells, “Your healing seems to be coming along. You won’t be spending all day in bed. Narcissa is going to take you shopping for new clothing and school supplies.”

Harriet frowned, “But sir, I don’t have any money. I couldn’t possibly impose..”

Snape’s trademark sneer returned to his lip, “I assure you Harriet, you are quite wealthier than you could imagine. Undoubtedly your first destination will be to Gringotts Bank. Wizarding Banking is run by the Goblin Nation, and I would implore you to be polite and to the point when speaking with them.” He left a Pepperup potion and a dose of Aphrodite’s Tears on the bed stand, collecting the empty phials into his robes.

He took one more hard look at her before leaving wordlessly, his cape billowing behind her.

Harri immediately shuffled to the edge of the bed, picking up one of the two potions and drinking it carefully as she stood. As surprised as she was, there was no use in gaping like a fish, as Aunt Petunia would say.

Her legs were less weak than she expected, supporting her easily as she did a few experimental stretches of her limbs. Dudley’s old raggedy castoffs were gone, replaced by sleek silk pajamas that covered most of her bandages.

A loud crack startled her, a large amount of the second potion traveling up her nose as she stared at the strange looking creature before her.  
  
“H-hullo.”

The house elf bowed, deep respect on his face, “Mistress Harriet is saying hellos to Dobby! Dobby is not deserving of such attention.” He gave Harri a look of the deepest reverence, “Dobby is to be escorting Mistress Harri to the loo so that she may refresh herself and get changed into the clothes Mistress Narcissa left her so that Dobby can escort her to the lobby.”

“Okay Dobby, Thanks.” Harri nodded, “Dobby, can I ask what you are?”

“Dobby is a house elf Mistress! House elves bond with wizards and witches and do the cookings and cleanings. It allows us to survive as our magics interact with the wizards and witches!”

Harriet nodded. She remembered in primary school reading about fairies called Brownies that did the cooking and cleaning at night. Maybe this was similar?

After a few minutes of splashing her face, taking care of bodily needs, and running a hand through her hair, Harriet got dressed quickly. Narcissa had picked out a gorgeous shirt and skirt combo that felt like it cost more than Uncle Vernon made in a year at Grunnings.

Dobby lead Harri to the lobby where Narcissa and another man stood. A serious man with platinum-blonde hair who stood with a cane, although not in a way that suggested he needed the support.

“Harriet, those clothes look positively beautiful on you.” Narcissa beamed,

“Yes, it’s quite amazing how one can transform when offered the most basic of care.” The man said in a not-quite condescending tone, “Pleased to meet you Harriet. I am Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa’s husband. I won’t be able to accompany you today, I am off to the Ministry of Magic with much business to attend to.”

Harriet blushed, “Oh, thank you. H-have a good day!” She fidgeted under his analyzing gaze.

Lucius’s mask was cold and stony. The girl would become quite powerful if she managed to apply herself properly. He would have to guide her to ensure that she received proper societal training. “Yes, Indeed.” He replied curtly, turning on a heel to apparate to the Ministry atrium.

“Don’t worry about him.” Narcissa said dismissively, “Lucius is very busy today, he has a lot on his mind. We’re going to go to Diagon Alley, which is one of the largest wizarding shopping centers in London.” She put a hand on the girls shoulder, offering a reassuring squeeze and leading her to the hearth with it’s crackling fire. Narcissa grabbed a silver urn off of the mantle and showed Harri that it was filled with a magenta powder the texture of sand.  
  
“This is floo powder, and it enables one of the most common forms of magical travel.” She explains, grabbing a small fistful and throwing it into the hearth. The fire roared, flames changing to a dancing emerald and crackling with more livelihood, “Simply walk into the fire and say very clearly ‘The Leaky Cauldron.’”  
  
Harri cautiously took a step into the flames, watching the tongues of fire lick her without burning. The warm smokeless heat enveloped her comfortably. She looked at Narcissa and gave a nod, shouting over the loud flames, “The Leaky Cauldron!”

It was like she’d fallen into a washing machine. An odd sensation of spinning, unable to see where she was but being aware that she was moving.

She stumbled out of the fireplace, the well-polished wood of the Malfoy sitting room replaced with rough-hewn stone covered with a threadbare rug. Coughing, Harri quickly righted herself, turning to see Narcissa step through with the poise and grace of a runway model.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it? Floo travel takes a little getting used to, but after some practice you’ll be a pro.” She gave a quick flick of her wand in Harri’s direction, banishing the soot off her face and clothes.

“Now I’m going to put a little glamour on you. We wouldn’t want people recognizing you and drawing too much attention. Narcissa took her wand and tapped Harriets brow, murmuring “ _Glamourous”_

It felt like an egg had been cracked over her, the tingling of liquid traveling down her neck with an odd cooling. In moments, the girl who lived suddenly sported a short platinum-blonde bob and unassuming hazel eyes. If she looked in the mirror, she would see that her jagged lightning-bolt scar had nearly disappeared into a thin horizontal line.  
  
Narcissa hmmmed, but seemed pleased with her work. “Alright, now we go to visit the Goblins. Just keep your head down and answer anything they ask you directly and respectfully.” She warned.

The trip down Diagon Alley was a treat in and of itself. Wizards and Witches walked around in robes and all sorts of strange finery that made an eclectic blend of fashions. Shops advertised self-stirring cauldrons and flying brooms and rugs. There were numerous stands as they made their way down the cobblestone path. One woman was selling what appeared to be large bright purple frogs that looked like they had been crossed with slugs. Another man was selling what he claimed to be homemade Owl treats.

Gringotts couldn’t be missed. At the end of the alley the large imposing building stood, large ivory roman pillars supporting the entrance. Two burnished bronze doors twenty feet tall each stood open, each flanked by what Harriet assumed to be Goblins. Each of them was wearing polished mail armor and carried silver halberds.

The entrance was no less regal than the outside.

A regal hallway, more opulent than even what she’d seen at the Malfoys. Marble, Jade, Onyx, masterfully carved in elaborate shapes and designs, a tapestry of artistry and history inlaid with the most precious gemstones. Harriet had her eyes on the door, which was guarded by additional goblins.

 _Enter, stranger, but take heed_  
Of what awaits the sin of greed  
For those who take, but do not earn,  
Must pay most dearly in their turn.  
So if you seek beneath our floors  
A treasure that was never yours,  
Thief, you have been warned, beware  
Of finding more than treasure there.

The words that Severus had impressed upon her about the respect for the goblins was taking root. These creatures took their jobs extremely seriously, and the ways that they could defend the treasures entrusted to them made Harriet shiver.

Dozens of high booths surrounded the noisy atrium. Hook-nosed Goblins were talking with customers standing in queues or furiously writing and stamping on sheets of paper, conversing to each other in a strange language. Narcissa spotted a particular booth that had no queue and hurried the two over to it.

 

The wrinkled creature looked at Harriet pensively, its fingers folded as it stared down at her through a wiry pair of glasses set on its nose, “And How may Sharpfang be helping Missus Narcissa Malfoy today?” He finally said, turning to Narcissa.

“Greetings Sharpfang, I’m here on behalf of Harriet Potter. She wishes to discuss her vaults and take an inheritance test.” Her voice was straightforward, looking at Sharpfang unblinkingly.

Sharpfang scowled, his gaze returning to Harriet, “Miss Harriet Potter hasn’t responded to several of our summons. Your presence here has been needed for quite some time.” He scolded, a grave tone in his voice.

Harri blushed, “I-I’m sorry, Goblin Sharpfang. I haven’t received any mail from anybody. If it got to me it was probably destroyed by my Aunt or Uncle.”

Sharpfang gave her another cold look with his beady eyes and turned to another goblin, speaking rapidly in that strange tongue the other goblins spoke. The other goblin looked at Harriet with alarm, sprinting down the hall with the sheaf of papers in his hand.

Without saying anything Narcissa gave Harriet a reassuring squeeze, a silent instruction to remain calm and stay still.

Sharpfang wrote something down and gave it a heavy stamp, “Missus Malfoy is to be escorting Miss Potter to Ragnok’s office. Ironclaw will show you the way.” He explained.

“Thank you Sharpfang, may your enemies fall before your blade.” Narcissa said with a small curtsy before leading Harriet through a door another goblin held open,

“And may your gold flow like the blood of your foes.” was the last thing Harri heard before the heavy door shut with a loud clunk.

As the two entered Ragnok’s office, a booming voice greeted them, “Ah, Harriet Potter. We have been looking for you for a long time.”

Ragnok was a very imposing goblin. He was wearing extremely ornate robes and a chain shirt and walked with an air of confidence and strength. A simple gold crown sat upon his head inlaid with seven emeralds. He walked over to Harri, not much taller than she was, and extended a hand.

Harriet blushed furiously, but bowed, offering her hand, “Greetings Ragnok.” She said, making sure not to break eye contact, “May your enemies fall before your blade,” She appended, remembering what Narcissa said.

Ragnok gave a crooked smile, “such a respectful young one, I can see why they say there is great hope in you.” He glanced up at Narcissa, “Ah, Lady Malfoy. Please sit.” He gestured to two seats before a grand oak desk.

Ragnok made his way over to a very ornate wooden chair that wasn’t quite a throne. “Harriet Potter, we’ve been requesting your presence for some years now. Do you know why our official Owls haven’t been able to find you?”  


“I don’t know sir. I’ve been living with my aunt and uncle in Surrey.” She bit her lip, “They don’t like magic, sir.”

Ragnok frowned, “Muggles would not be able to prevent our correspondence from reaching you. Only a powerful wizard would be able to keep your mail from reaching you.”

Harriet blinked, unknowing how to respond.

Narcissa cleared her throat, “I believe that Harriet would like to pay for an Inheritance test.”

“Indeed.” Ragnok intoned, pulling from his hip a dagger that he set on the table in front of harriet with a piece of parchment, “Seven drops on the paper. No more, no less.” He said flatly.

Harriet swallowed. She picked up the dagger with a trembling hand and looked back at Narcissa, who gave her a nod. Harri took the knife and buried it into her left thumb with a wince, watching the dark scarlet blood welling at the sight of the wound. She put down the dagger and moved her hand over to the paper, watching as the drops stain the yellowed parchment.

After seven drops the blood swirled and danced on the page. Harriet jerked her hand back, the wound closing painlessly and quickly, having left no trace of it ever having occurred.

Words started to form on the page.

_Inheritance Test_

**_Name_ **

_Harriet Alice Potter_

**_Blood Status_ **

_Pure_

**_Parents_ **

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (Magical Guardian)_

_James Charlus Potter (Father)_

_Lily Elizabeth Rosier-Evans Potter (Mother)_

_Sirius Orion Black (Paternal Godfather; Blood Adopted)_

_Narcissa Druella Malfoy (Paternal Godmother)_

_Francis Joseph Longbottom (Maternal Godfather)_

_Alice Marie Longbottom (Maternal Godmother)_

_Charlus Fleamont Potter (Paternal Grandfather)_

_Dorea Violet Black (Paternal Grandmother)_

_Hector Alastor Rosier (Maternal Grandfather)_

_Elizabeth Andrea Selwyn (Maternal Grandmother)_

_Hector Alfred Evans (Adopted Maternal Grandfather)_

_Beatrice Florence Evans (Adopted Maternal Grandmother)_

**_Familial Lines_ **

_Peverell (Paternal)_

_Potter (Paternal)_

_Black (Paternal)_

_Gryffindor (Paternal)_

_Ravenclaw (Maternal)_

_Selwyn (Maternal)_

_Rosier (Maternal)_

_Slytherin (Conquest)_

_Gaunt (Conquest)_

**_Vaults_ **

_Peverell Vault - Blocked_

_Potter Trust Vault_

_Potter Vault_

_Fleamont Vault - Blocked_

_Black Vault – Blocked_

_Selwyn Vault - Blocked_

_Rosier Vault – Blocked_

_Gaunt Vault - Blocked_

_Slytherin Vault_

_Gryffindor Vault_

_Total Wealth: 25 billion Galleons (Estimated- Audit Required)_

_Treasures: Innumerous (Audit Required)_

_Properties: Audit Required_

**_Mates_ **

_Soulmate- ? (Blocked by Albus Dumbledore)_

_Soulmate- ? (Blocked by Albus Dumbledore)_

_Soulmate- ? (Blocked by Albus Dumbledore)_

**_Magical Abilities_ **

_Magical Core (80% Blocked by Albus Dumbledore)_

_Parseltongue (100% Blocked by Albus Dumbledore, 100% Broken)_

_Healing (100% Blocked by Albus Dumbledore, 40% Broken)_

_Natural Occlumency (100% Blocked by Albus Dumbledore)_

_Natural Legilimency (100% Blocked by Albus Dumbledore)_

_Metamorphmagus (100% Blocked by Albus Dumbledore)_

_Wandless Magic (100% Blocked by Albus Dumbledore)_

**_Potions and Spells_ **

_Blood Glamour – Placed by Albus Dumbledore_

_Sight Inhibitor – Placed by Albus Dumbledore_

_Intelligence Inhibitor – Placed by Albus Dumbledore_

_Life Leech – Placed by Albus Dumbledore_

_Confundus Charm (Severe)_

_Loyalty Potion keyed to Albus Dumbledore – Administered by Albus Dumbledore_

_Loyalty Potion keyed to Weasley Family – Administered by Albus Dumbledore_

_Loyalty Potion keyed to Order of the Phoenix – Administered by Albus Dumbledore_

_Obedience Potion keyed to Vernon and Petunia Dursley – Administered by Albus Dumbledore_

**_Contracts_ **

_Marriage Contract between Harriet Alice Potter and Ronald Bilius Weasley – Signed by Albus Dumbledore and Molly Weasley (Illegal)_

Ragnok’s scowl deepened as he read the parchment in his hands, which seemed to be growing by the minute.

“Miss Potter, there are many issues here which need to be taken care of immediately.”

He placed the parchment on the desk for Narcissa and Harriet to read.

“As you can see, there are a number of questions regarding your inheritance which need to be dealt with. You are currently the magical heir to five houses which are thought to have been extinct for several generations.” He continued as the two read in shock, “Unfortunately as you are not yet fourteen you are unable to claim your lordships, but as heir you could designate that the vaults be handled by your Regent or Guardian. I also cannot allow you to access the Black Vaults as the current heir, your Godfather Sirius, is in prison and is unable to officiate the heirship ceremony until he accepts his lordship.”

“Ragnok sir, why is he in prison?” Harriet asked meekly,

“Well officially he was charged with the conspiracy that enabled Lord Voldemort to kill your parents, but as he successfully completed the Blood Adoption ritual and enabling you to come into harm would have stripped him of his magic or outright killed him that is highly suspect.” Ragnok explained.

“Furthermore, the goblin who was in charge of the Potter accounts was charged with embezzlement and corruption by the Goblin Nation and beheaded, which triggered an audit. Albus Dumbledore has made a large number of withdrawals of gold and treasure from the Potter account over a period of the last ten years, including a number of grimoires and other treasures. Were you aware of any payments made to Albus Dumbledore, Vernon and Petunia Dursley, the Weasley Family, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, or the South Gloucester Avian Society?” He asked her, perusing a sheaf of parchments on his desk.

“No sir, I haven’t!” Harry was livid, “I’ve been living with my Aunt and Uncle, but they said that my parents were broke drunks! My Uncle Vernon said they were good for nothings who left them nothing!”

Ragnok smirked, “That explains the payment of the equivalent to five thousand pounds sterling that was deposited every month into an account with the muggle Royal Bank of Scotland.”

Narcissa had her hand on Harriet’s shoulder, supporting the girl, “I hope that these indiscretions can be corrected?”

“Quite so, Missus.” Ragnok now looked positively gleeful, “I can immediately order the gold and artifacts clawed back with interest and will do so. I’ve also ordered that the Potter Will be unsealed and brought to my office.”

Narcissa turned to face Harriet, “Harriet, no matter what happens, Lucius and I will never allow you to go back to those vile muggles or Dumbledore. If the Will names me your Godmother like magic claims, I can take guardianship of you immediately.”

Tears began to form on Harriet’s face, “You would really do that?”

Narcissa wiped those tears off her cheek, giving a kiss to her forehead, “I would adopt you in a heartbeat Harriet. You are a precious child and a very powerful witch. You would make anyone proud to have you as their daughter.”

The two shared a long hug, which Ragnok was fine not to interrupt.

The hearth flared, and a Goblin walked out carrying a tightly bound scroll, “The Potter Will, King Ragnok.” He bowed, “Shall I read it?”

Ragnok gave a look to the two women, who nodded, “Yes, go ahead Gornuk.”

Gornuk cracked the large wax seal of the scroll, “The Last Will and Testament of Lily And James Potter, dated December the 4th, 1980. Witnessed by Lady Magic and Head Scribe Kragnus.

_We, James Charlus Potter and Lily Elizabeth Rosier-Evans Potter, being of sound body, mind, and magic, make what we hope is not our last will and testament._

_In the event that the worst has occurred, and all is lost, the Fidelius Charm cast on Godric’s Hollow has fallen. Let it be known that the Caster of the Fidelius was Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore with Peter Everest Pettigrew as the Binder and Secret Keeper._

_Our Sweet Darling Harriet is to go to Sirius Black, Her Godfather and Paddy. If for some reason he is unavailable, then she is to live with Frank and Alice Longbottom or Narcissa Black._

_To Sirius Black, We leave the Marauder’s Flat in London, as it frankly belongs to you more than it does us. Lily would also like to leave you the plaid couch, with hopes that you’ll eventually come to your senses and burn it._

_To Remus Lupin, we leave 5 million Galleons and Potter Estate in Yorkshire on the condition that you don’t try to return it. You’ve helped us out more than we could ever ask, and if we can’t help you in life then by Merlin are we going to help you now._

_To Severus Snape-Prince, Lily Potter leaves her potions textbooks, her electrum cauldron, and 100,000 Galleons. James Potter would also leave Severus the personal journals of Ezekiel Sleakeazy and James Potter’s eternal apologies that he hopes to make in person. Severus, How the Marauder’s and I treated you was completely unacceptable._

_To Vernon and Petunia Dursley, Lily Potter leaves 500 Great British Pounds Sterling and James Potter leaves his eternal scorn. For all the effort we have made to extend you a hand in friendship, we have received nothing but hatred. We hope that you never have the misfortune of ruining the life of a child by having to raise one._

_To Frank and Alice Longbottom we each leave 500,000 Galleons. We know that Neville will grow up to be a powerful and beautiful wizard someday, and hope that he can be a good friend and godbrother to Harriet._

_The rest of our estate we leave to Harriet. Baby Girl, we write this as we cradle you in our arms. If you are having to witness this, know that there isn’t anything on this plane or any other that we wouldn’t do to be with you again.”_

Gornuk cleared his throat, “Now that the seal is broken, the bank will send summons to the recipients. Lady Malfoy, I will notify Kurnuk to forward you the details.”

Narcissa nodded, cradling Harriet, who was crying softly into her shoulder, “Thank you Gornuk.” The Goblin nodded, shuffling out of the room carrying the will.

Ragnok cleared his throat, “Well, it seems that the Goblin Nation owes you a debt, Miss Potter. This Will should never have been sealed. In reparations, I am prepared to offer you a ritual cleanse by our healers to purge you of the magics effecting you.” He gave a grave nod, “Additionally, we are willing to offer testimony on behalf of Sirius Black’s defense, if need be.”

Harriet nodded. Today was extremely overwhelming, but she needed to be brave, “I accept. Thank you for your generosity.”

Harriet and Narcissa stood as Ragnok lead them out of his office down a short side passageway. When two female goblins began preparing Harriet for the ritual, Narcissa looked at her, “Harriet, this ritual might take some time. I’m going to floo over to the Ministry and meet with Lucius. Will you allow me to have a copy of your parent’s Will?

Harriet sat on a cold stone bench, her clothes having been transfigured into a simple medical gown, “Yes, of course!” She bit her lip, “Err, thank you for all this, Aunt Cissa.”

Narcissa beamed, “Of course Harri, it’s my pleasure.”

Harri was hurried into the chamber, a dark stone room. The smooth floor was cool against her bare feet, and she saw intricate runes drawn in a large circle. The Goblin Healer explained to Harri that she was to lie in the center of the circle and the ritual would put her to sleep shortly after starting. It was an odd tingling feeling as she lay on the floor and stared up at the ceiling. Something began to fall on Harriet. Like heavy rain, but hot at the same time it was bone chilling. The last thing Harri remembered was her back arching and her skin crawling as she screamed out in pain before the blackness overtook her.

When Harriet opened her eyes again, she felt **alive.** It was like she’d never felt before. All of her aches and pains were gone, even her skin was new, an alabaster sheen that radiated health, many of her scars faded almost or completely away. The tingling sensation was back, but it didn’t feel strange. It felt like it belonged. A muscle that had never been exercised, powerful and ready to strike.

-Ssspeaker!- a voice rang out in her head

-Shiva? Is that you-

-Speaker, Ssshiva can feel your magic now! Very very powerful. Our Enemies will tremble before us!-

Harriet grinned widely.

-Lets take on the world.-

She sat up, stretching, “Oh good, you’re awake.” The goblin nurse replied. “You’ve been asleep for an hour. Mrs. Malfoy is in the other room, I’ll escort you.”

The matronly goblin lead Harriet to Narcissa, “Harriet, you’re, oh my gosh!”

She reached into her back, pulling out a hand mirror that she enlarged with a tap of her wand, handing it to Harri.

Harri immediately understood Narcissa’s shock. She hadn’t just undergone a change, she was almost completely unrecognizable! Her scar was gone! Her skin was much fairer, all of the days toiling in Aunt Petunia’s rose garden completely erased. Her jaw was more angled, her face more defined. Her eyes weren’t quite the same vibrant green as before, now flecked with blue. Her previously ratty and mangled hair now fell in smooth waves. Harri also noticed that she must be standing at least two inches taller.  
  
“I feel amazing, it’s incredible.” She blinked, running a hand through her hair and blushing as suddenly it became streaked with pink!

“Ah, I see your Metamorphmagus skills are starting to show. It’s a very rare skill, but I think that there are a few books in the Malfoy library that we can find to help you learn to control it.” Narcissa explained, “Successful Metamorphmagi can change almost every aspect of their appearance, it’s quite a useful skill to be born with.”

Harriet grinned, “wicked.”

Narcissa chuckled, “well now, glad to see you’re enjoying things. Since you only had a nutrient potion for breakfast, how would you like lunch before we get to the rest of our errands?”

Harriet blushed. Now that she was thinking about it, she was ravenous. Whatever magic had done it had left her starving!  
  
“Sounds great.” She nodded.

Twenty minutes later, Harriet and Narcissa were sitting outdoors of a quaint French Bistro. Completely unfamiliar with the food, Harriet had allowed Narcissa to order for her. The Croque-Monsieur, some kind of egg and ham and cheese sandwich was among the most delicious things that Harriet tasted, and she savored it.

Sitting across from her, Narcissa ate soup and sipped a glass of red wine. The only thing keeping her sad concern for the girl from showing to the world was her sunglasses. She could tell that Harriet enjoyed her food, yet the girl had only eaten a few bites. Under the table, her fingers balled into a fist. If Bellatrix ever got out of prison, she might have to track down where those Muggles went off to and see if her dear sister would enjoy paying them a visit.

 “Is everything alright, Harri?”

Harri looked up, “oh yeah, everything’s great! The food is delicious, thank you.” She was clearly embarrassed.

“Well if you’re all done I was thinking we go get your wand, would you like that?”

“My wand? My own wand.” Harriet said to herself in awe, “Yes, how does it work?”  
  
“Well.” Narcissa stood, gesturing Harri to follow as she left a small stack of silver sickles on the table, “some wizards like to go to a store where a Wandmaster has you go through a dozen or more wands until you find one that might bind to you. The more discerning witches and wizards get their wants crafted for them.” She led the two on, stopping Harriet midway down the street, “Now pay close attention. We’re about to head down Knockturn Alley. It can be less than forgiving. Stick close to me and do not touch anything or say anything to anyone unless you’re with me.”

Harriet gulped, “understood.”

Knockturn Alley was quite more darkly lit than Diagon Alley. It wasn’t dilapidated or run down, but it did have more of a morose vibe. Harriet kept her eyes forward until the two ushered into an unassuming shopfront simply titled, “Featherings”

The store was well lit. Jars of strange liquids and objects lined the walls. When the two entered, an attractive man went to greet them. He smiled at the pair, leaning forward to kiss Narcissa on the back of the hand,  
  
“Narcissa Malfoy, charmed to see you again. Who is this? I can’t say that I’m familiar.”  
  
“Alexios, this is my niece Harriet. Harriet, this is Alexios Featherings, a master wandmaker who crafts wands for witches and wizards by scratch.”

“Indeed.” He intoned, “Gregorovitch and Ollivander think that they can force a pairing between a wand and a wizard, but my wands work better for any Witch with galleons to afford them.”  
  
He lead Harriet over to his workshop where dozens of urns of different metals and sizes and shapes were sat, “We’re going to start with the woods, hold out your hand and feel with your magic.”  
  
Harriet closed her eyes, feeling an extremely powerful tug not unlike a portkey. She walked over and plucked two different wood samples and brought them back.

“Yew and Wenge..very interesting.” Alexios mused, stroking the beard on his angular chin, “over to the cores then.”

Again Harriet returned, holding a dark grey feather, a small glass container of pale yellow liquid, and a sharp iridescent sliver.  
  
“If I may be so bold young miss, this is going to be the most _interesting_ wand I’ve ever created. A blend of Yew and Wenge, with a core of Thunderbird feather, Boomslang Venom, and Chimera Scale. Very tricky and temperamental, if you can find another wizard that can produce more than sparks with this I would like to meet them. All the better to channel your magic, You will find much ease channeling yourself.”  
  
Alexios summoned a small wooden box that everything went in, it’s brass fittings locking shut and _Harriet Malfoy_ appearing on the label.

Harriet blinked, “What do we do now?”

Alexios gave a nod, “Now I perform my artistry. Return in two hours and you will have your wand.”  
  
Narcissa piped up, “Thank you Alexios, it is good to see you again. I will have to have you for dinner before Yule.”

The man looked lost in thought, but gave a smile, “You are too kind Narcissa. Send me an owl and I will see when I am free.”  
  
Narcissa and Harriet left the store and headed up the lane to a store titled Armani and Co.- Clothing and Bags, where the two spent the next four hours. After being measured from head to toe, Harriet was sent through a whirlwind by four different designers, and after Narcissa signed an extremely long receipt that Harri was sure she intentionally did not let the girl read, The pair left with a brand new trunk embroidered and customized with Harriets name and crests and a dozen enchantments that allowed it to carry the massive tailored wardrobe in Acromantula Silk and Dragonhide.

Entering Featherings again, Harri would find a very smug looking Alexios, “Ah, just the women I wanted to see. I knew that this would want to see. This was perhaps the most difficult wand to create yet, but I think that it came out beautifully.” He pulled Harri eagerly to the workshop, revealing a small bundle of cloth.  
  
With a flourish, he pulled back the cloth, revealing a fine leather holster containing a wand. With some encouragement Harriet picked it up. The wand practically sang in her grasp. She gasped, feeling a powerful tingling travel up and down her spine. A marbled white wood handle carved into the edifice of a dragon, it’s jaw open to reveal the polish dark brown rod. Running along the entire length of the wand were odd squiggled runes, carved with such fine detail Harri could barely see it.  
  
“It’s incredible.” She said blankly, running her hands over the wand.  
  
“Indeed, I believe it’s some of my finest work. With the undetectable griffin skin pouch, you have a truly impressive focus.” He pulled out a piece of parchment and rolled it out in front of her, “Simply press your Heir ring here, and I’ll be able to collect my payment from Gringotts.  
  
Harriet did as asked, watching her full name blossom at the bottom of the page.  
  
Alexios read the page and chuckled, “Keeping secrets, are we Narcissa?”  
Narcissa grinned, “your discretion is appreciated as always.”  
  
“Quite. I expect great things from you, Heir Gryffindor-Ravenclaw-Slytherin-Peverell-Black-Potter-Gaunt-Rosier-Selwyn.”

 

 

Albus Dumbledore was about to kill someone. Maybe multiple someone’s. His morning correspondence contained some truly disheartening news about the Majority in the Wizengamot. Albus had worked too hard to lose majority now. He didn’t have time to run for Minister, he needed headless puppets that allowed him to push forward his anti-werewolf legislation.

  
In the middle of penning a letter, his office became far too quiet. Five of the silver instruments sitting behind him had suddenly stopped whistling and smoking. Not even the might of the Elder Wand could figure out why they stopped working.

  
Not wanting to consider the worst, Albus immediately apparated on the spot from his office, perks of being Headmaster. He reappeared on the end of privet drive, storming to number four.  
  
The Wards were in shambles, crashed and all but gone. The Dursleys? Gone. Potter? Not a trace.

This was very not good. Many of Dumbledore’s plans hinged on this. He apparated again, appearing at the end of Wisteria walk. Walking up to number seven, he burst in the front door without even knocking. The house smelled of dander and urine. When Arabella Figg came into the living room, she gave a delighted, “Albus, what a delightful surprise!”  
  
Albus gave an unimpressed look, pointing his wand straight out her and uttering, “Legilimens!”

Thoroughly scanning her mind, he found no evidence of the Potter brat. The Dursleys were supposed to be keeping her in line until September 1st. Arabella had apparently heard they were going on vacation, but she had no clue as to where.

In a huff, Dumbledore apparated back to his office. Hagrid took her to Diagon Alley and she had seen the stone. All she has to do is get rescued by Molly Weasley and end up on the train with Ronald and the Mudblood Granger. If Albus had to perform some _manual adjustments_ after she was sorted into Gryffindor, then so be it.  
  
He steepled his fingers in consternation, losing himself in thought.

 

Harriet yawned loudly, walking out of the ensuite loo dressed in her new pajamas and climbed into bed. She’d had a whirlwind day and was quite exhausted.

-Ssspeaker is feeling better?- a low voice whispered behind her ear. Harriet giggled.

-Yes Shiva, I feel like a new person! It was amazing today. I can’t wait to read all of my new books, and my wand! Is it supposed to feel like this?-

-I wouldn’t know, but I am glad that you are at peace.-  
  
Harri smiled, finishing her nightly potion and curling up, head sinking into the pillow.

-I’m glad too.-

Unburdened by injury or anxiety, Harriet fell to sleep with ease.

 


	6. Friendships and Foul Scheming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Summer comes to a close as Harriet climbs onto the train for her first year of Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a long time it's finally here! I've been caught up with school and inspiration but all of the comments and kudos has been wonderful! Please continue to let me know what you think, they definitely inspire me to update faster.
> 
> One important thing to note that was brought up to me by my Beta Cats (whose kind words and help allow this fic to continue to exist.). In this AU, Severus denounced his father upon his death, and when he became of age he took the mantle of Lord Prince and has gone by that since. How some characters feel about this will be elaborated on in later chapters, but one of the things that always bothered me about Canon was how Snape continued to take his fathers name despite how much he hated him.

The days leading up to September the 1st were an absolute blur. Dobby would come to wake Harriet up at just past 7 o’clock. As comfortable as her new accommodations were, years of being loudly awoken at 5 AM sharp so that she could prepare breakfast kept her from ever sleeping that late. She would get dressed in any of the myriad of outfits that Narcissa had stocked into the wardrobe that seemingly never ended before heading down to breakfast.`

With a carefully crafted diet and regiment of potions, Harri’s appetite was slowly growing to healthy levels. While she wasn’t anywhere close to polishing off a full English, Narcissa had been happy to see that the girl was able to have a few kippers with her usual fried egg and toast.

Lucius was able to join them on most mornings, although he usually sat stoically with a cup of coffee and the morning edition of _The Daily Prophet_ before heading off to the ministry. With the evidence that the goblins had collected on Sirius’s behalf, Lucius had managed to transfer him to a Ministry holding cell so that they could work on the case. Harriet had been explicitly forbidden from visiting Sirius; his mental state after spending 10 years in the magical prison Azkaban was quite fragile.

The fourth addition to the Malfoy table had been a quite curious one. When Draco emerged from the floo after spending two weeks in Milan at the Zabini villa, he did so with an air of self-importance that Harriet had never seen in another person. Within five minutes of discovering that Harri was staying with them, he decided that he wanted nothing to do with her and that she didn’t belong.

While Narcissa was horrified and immediately apologetic, Harriet was unphased. She was used to people telling her that she didn’t belong, and it not being her house he had a point. Harri didn’t see much of Draco after that, the size of the mansion afforded him the chance to avoid her at every opportunity.

The night before the 1st Harriet was absolutely blown away. The Malfoy’s had thrown her a birthday party! Harri was in tears, having never remembered having a birthday. There was a roast goose outside and a cake with her name on it and everything. Even Presents! From Lucius she received a stationary kit with an everfull supply of personalized letterhead parchment, including several very high-quality quills, pots of ink, and a Potter Crest Wax Seal. Narcissa had given her a new embroidered dragonhide bag with undetectable extension, antitheft, and featherlight enchantments. Much to her surprise, she’d received a gift from Severus! An owl had delivered her a large plain brown package that had been tied with a small note.

_Harriet,_

_Your Mother was the only person besides myself whom I considered halfway competent in the art of Potions. I hope you don’t live to disappoint._

_Severus_

Unwrapping the parcel, she found a large sterling silver cauldron, with matching stirring rod and scales. She also found a wooden box containing a set of gleaming and wickedly sharp knives of different sizes and shapes. The final box in the package contained a number of glass jars containing a variety of hand-selected potions ingredients. Harriet guessed that these probably were the ingredients that she would be using in her first year.

Finally, even Draco had gotten her a gift. She didn’t expect him to even show up, but despite a week of giving her the cold shoulder he was quite polite. He placed the oddly rounded object in front of her quite delicately, explaining that it was something that “Any self-respecting witch or wizard needed.”

Giving a quizzical look, Harriet removed the cloth to unveil the most gorgeous Owl that she had ever seen. Snowy white feathers and round yellow eyes, it gave a warm hoot as it reached its face out towards Harriet from within it’s cage. Harri extended a hand cautiously, smiling when it started affectionally nipping at her finger. Draco explained that her name was Hedwig and that she was one of the finest breeds of mail owl in all of Britain.

“Hello there.” Harriet opened the cage, watching the snowy bird curiously. Hedwig hopped up, hooting at Harriet. It tilted its head at her before spreading its wings and immediately took flight, darting towards the forest.

Harriet gave a look of alarm to Draco’s look of complete disgust,

“It’s going to hunt. Honestly Potter, do you think that the bird is so stupid as to immediately run away at the first chance?”

Before she had a reason to respond he turned up his nose and walked back into the house, muttering about the idiocy of muggle-raised. Narcissa looked apologetic and Lucius was stone-faced. Harri tried to explain that it was fine, but it didn’t stop the remaining half hour before they retired from being awkward and stilted.

 

That night after a shower, Harriet sat on her bed in her pajamas, hugging her knees to her chest. Her trunk lay open on the floor half packed. Her window was open with Hedwig’s cage on the perch. The Owl had stopped by briefly to hoot at her, and affectionately nibbled on Harri’s finger when the girl had cautiously reached a hand forward to pet the bird.

~Misstresss~ Shiva mused in the back of her mind ~What iss the matter?~

Harri blushed, still unused to the amphithere’s presence in her mind.

~It’s all so overwhelming.~ She thought ~Tomorrow I’m supposed to go to Hogwarts. I’ve barely been aware of magic for a month, how am I going to do well? How can I make friends if I can’t get along with Draco?~

A deep reverberating staccato briefly alarmed her before she realized that the snake was laughing.

~Human hatchlingsss are sso worrissome.~ Shiva responded. A tingling crept across her skin as the reptile manifested and crawled onto her shoulders, _“$You will learn to be a great witch, I sssensse great power in our Bond. Other hatchlingss were raisssed without magic.$”_

Harriet sighed. Of course, he was right. Both A History of Magic and The Magical History of the British Isles talked about blood supremacy and the plight of muggleborns and muggleborn rights.

_“$I know you’re right. I just…I’m being dumb.$”_ She murmured, grabbing a brush off the nightstand and pulling it through her hair.

_“$Misstresss hass had a hard hatching, but that iss no reassson to feel anxious!$”_ Shiva lifted his head, staring his beady eyes into hers, _“$You will walk high aand make many friends, and I will bite your enemiesss$”_

_“$You will do no such thing!$”_ The girl replied, _“$I’m not going to get expelled because someone died of venom!$”_

Shiva gave her an unimpressed look but communicated with her an expression that she somehow understood to be a shrug. He coiled loosely on her neck, closing his eyes.

Finished brushing her hair, Harriet carefully laid back not to disturb the Amphithere, crawling under her covers. Nestled in the too-comfy sheets, she soon found slumber.

 

* * *

 

 

Dumbledore’s hands were trembling as he reread the letter in his hands. A bank-wide audit of Gringotts had found some “discrepancies” in his withdrawals. Not only was he banned from making any further withdrawals from the Potter Vault without the blasted girl present, but those damned creatures had the gall to reach into his own personal vaults and claw back the gold they claimed he owed! The letter said that he had 30 days to return the Potter Grimoire and the other artifacts he had removed, or he would incur additional penalties! This was disastrous!  
  
          His hearth flared, green flames dancing on the previously unlit logs. Albus swore, knowing where this was going.

  
          “ALBUS!” a woman’s voice bellowed, the stocky redhead stepping through the floo clutching a letter of her own, “What is the meaning of this!”

“Now now Molly, I’m sure there’s a perfect explanation for all of this.”

“Those conniving little shits at the bank tell me that I’ve been receiving unauthorized payments from the Potter vault! That I’m to return twenty thousand galleons by the end of the year with interest or they will put a lien on my house! What am I supposed to tell Arthur?”  
  
          Dumbledore sighed, steepling his fingers and pushing his spectacles up his nose, “It seems that Gringotts has performed a bank wide audit to identify any ‘discrepancies’. I’ve sent several missives to Griphook but he hasn’t returned any of my letters. I’ll have to take the brat to Gringotts this weekend to ensure that ability to freely withdraw is reinstated. However.” he looked at Molly critically, “until I can either find Griphook or establish a new contact within the bank I’ll only be able to withdraw from the trust vault, so we’ll both have to tighten our belts. Make sure that when she shows up at the station tomorrow you are there to lead her onto the platform. Merlin forbid she ends up befriending the Malfoy brat.”  
  
          Molly sneered, “it’s not like she deserves to be friends with my Ronnie either, and you expect the two to get married!”

Albus nodded, “It’s the quickest way to seize control of her fortune. By the time she graduates she’ll sacrifice herself for the good of the prophecy and then the Weasley’s will receive the grand share of the Potter and Black fortunes and I’ll receive 8 new seats on the Wizengamot.

 

* * *

 

 

_“$Come to me…Harriet Potter..$”_

Harri awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright in bed. She was hearing things, must be nerves. Her hand automatically started rubbing her forehead. Because of all the treatments she’d taken, her scar was still stubbornly existent, faded but still noticeable when not hidden by her fringe.

Climbing out of bed, Harriet walked over to the window where Hedwig was hooting softly.

“Hey there girl,” She cautiously extended her hand. Hedwig stared at her, but bowed her head, allowing Harri to stroke her soft feathers. The pair enjoyed a warm moment before Hedwig spread her wings, giving a great flap and taking a small flight around her room before landing within her cage.

As Harriet was finishing getting dressed while pulling a brush through her hair when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in!” Harri called.

The door swung open and the bulbous head of Dobby stuck his head in, “good morning Mistress Harriet!” He smiled, speaking jovially.

“Mornin’ Dobby!” Harri smiled back, “Is it time for breakfast?”

“Mipsy and Ropkey are helping Mistress Narcissa with the cookings right now! Big breakfast for Mistress Harriet’s and Master Draco’s first day at Hogwarts!” His ears flapped with excitement. “Dobby is to be helping Mistress Harriet with anything she is needing before leaving!”

Harriet’s eyes widened, looking guiltily at her half-packed trunk, the rest of her things strewn messily across her room, “Oh that’s okay Dobby, I can finish packing.”  
         

Dobby shook his head, “It is no trouble at all Mistress! House Elves be doing the packing quickly!” He walked over to her trunk, giving a look of concentration with a snap of his wrinkled fingers.

With a whirl, all her things flew across the room. Clothes folded themselves and books stacked, everything landing neat and organized. Harriet smiled, Magic was wicked.

“Wow Dobby, Thanks so much!”

Dobby wringed his hands, “Mistress Harriet is too kind to Dobby, much too kind!”

“Nonsense, you’re super helpful!” Harri grinned. With Hedwig in her cage and firmly secured to her trunk, Harri grabbed the handle as she was shown by the trunk maker in the store and said “Wingardius!” Instantly the featherlight enchantment activated, and it swung in her hands as if it weighed nothing.

She followed Dobby downstairs into the sitting room where she found Narcissa enjoying a cup of tea with the paper.

“Good morning Harriet, how are you doing today?” Narcissa asked, attention turning to the girl, “Excited? You can leave your trunk by the fireplace next to Draco’s, we’ll be taking the Floo to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.”

Harri nodded, leaving her navy with green trunk next to Draco’s black with silver.

Despite tensions with Draco, breakfast was a pleasantly polite affair. Draco and Lucius had a chat over last nights Quidditch match between the Falmouth Falcons and the Tutshill Tornados while Harri and Narcissa chatted about classes. Narcissa wasn’t happy that Harri had been unable to eat much of the full English breakfast that was presented but said nothing.

When the clock rolled around to eight the elves started to collect the dishes as the four of them went off to the living room. Harriet went second into the emerald flames of the floo destined for Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

The station was busier than anything Harriet had seen. Hundreds of people were walking up and down the platform as dozens funneled into the train. Across the entire way Harri saw teary-eyed parents giving goodbyes to their children. Harriet felt a moment of brief sadness as she thought of her own parents.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, heard Narcissa’s voice whisper into hers, “Harri dear we need to get away from the floo platform.”

The girl blushed, realizing that she was blocking traffic, Draco was standing with Lucius far away with his head in his hands. She grabbed her trunk and quickly made a beeline, followed by a bemused Narcissa.

“Now I want a letter from both of you tomorrow.” Narcissa said sternly to the two as she leaned down to give each of them crushing hugs, “I don’t care which house you end up in, do your best and make me proud!”

Lucius nodded, “each house aspects that can be…respectable. Don’t be afraid to contact Severus if you need help, even if you don’t get sorted into Slytherin.”

Draco puffed up his chest, “I won’t let you or the family down father! I’m going to be a tried and true Slytherin!”

Lucius gave him a look of pride, “that I have no doubt, but stay out of trouble, I don’t want to hear any reports of you getting detention.” He reached into his pocket and handed each of them four galleons, explaining that it was for the trolley, “I trust that each of you are smart enough to not spend all of it on sweets.”

Draco was eager to get on the train to find a few friends of his, but Narcissa insisted on giving each of them one last hug and a kiss. He peeled away immediately after that, disappearing into the crowd onto the train.

“Err, thanks. For everything.” Harriet said to both of them.

“Nonsense, Harriet.” Lucius beamed, “You are a bright and beautiful girl. Anyone would be fortunate to have you. Have a good semester and we’ll see you at Yule.”

Harri smiled. She’d spent the last ten Christmases locked in a closet, usually trying to stay quiet as possible. At least she was allowed to take the day “off” as Petunia didn’t trust her to handle the roast. She bid them both goodbye and climbed onto the train, no sight of Draco anywhere. She entered the first empty compartment she found, placing Hedwig and her trunk in the overhead rack.

Minutes passed and Harri considered pulling a book out of her bag when the door opened, revealing a glassy blue-eyed blonde who looked at her curiously,

“Hello Harriet Potter, may I sit with you?”

Harri bit her lip, “Err, sure you can! You are?”

The girl smiled, skipping over to the seat opposite and sat down.

“I’m Luna Lovegood. The moon frogs told me that you would be here. I’m glad to see that you’ve solved your wrackspurt infestation. They can be pretty awful when they accumulate.”

Harriet stared at the girl for a moment blinking, “Oh..thank you? I’m doing much better than I was doing, although I’m happy to just have clothes that fit.”

Luna gave a sage nod, “Don’t worry, not many people pay attention to what the moon frogs tell them. Your secrets are safe with me.”

Harri was just about to ask what exactly a moon frog was when the compartment door opened just as the train leeched forward. Three more people stumbled into the cabin.

“Pardon us.” said the thin reedy boy as he adjusted his glasses, “we absolutely had to escape Draco and Pansy, the two are starting to become _insufferable_.” He extended a hand to Harri and Luna, “I’m Theo Nott, this is Blaise Zabini and that’s Daphne Greengrass.” He pointed to a tanned boy and a girl with short black hair.

“You’re friends of Draco?” Harri asked, blushing as she reached forward to shake his hand, “I’m Harriet Potter, this is Luna Lovegood.”

“Piacere!” Blaise said, taking the seat next to Harriet, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. Theo rolled his eyes and took the seat next to Luna while Daphne looked thoroughly unimpressed.

“Blaise you flirt, you’re lucky that I don’t know the stinging hex.”

“Please, I’m just trying to show these ladies a good time!” He smiled sheepishly.

Harriet grinned, “It’s very kind of you. So how do you know Draco?”

Daphne was the first to speak, “Oh all of the pureblooded families interact with each other. We’ve all known each other since before I remember. I’m surprised that your guardian didn’t take you to any of the playdates, I’m sure they would have received an invitation.”

Harri frowned, “Err. Until about six months ago I lived with my aunt and uncle. They’re muggles.”

“Really?” Theo frowned, “You were raised by Muggles? The official story was that you were taken into custody by Albus Dumbledore.”

Harriet’s eyes darkened, “I assure you, that was not the case. I’ve never met the man.”

The cabin got quiet before Daphne broke the silence, “so Harriet, what’s your favorite thing about the wizarding world so far?”

And it went like that for several hours. Harri got to know each of them well, although Theo was so absorbed into _The Application of Intermediate Transfigurations_ that his answers had to be elbowed out of him by Daphne. Luna was extremely sweet and kind. Harriet always seemed to have her in the corner of her eye, finding something fascinating that left her hanging on every word.

After a while Blaise brought out Exploding Snap, which was a sort of card game where everyone fought to make pairs before the cards exploded with a small bang. It was great fun and Harri didn’t even realize how much time had passed until the trolley arrived.

Everyone was practically drooling over the amount of candies and sweets on offer. After buying a light lunch, Harriet and the others had enough gold between them to buy out a little bit of everything. Blaise had a fun time horrifying the girls by showing them how to keep chocolate frogs from jumping away from immediately taking a huge bite of their head while the enchanted chocolate continued to writhe. Daphne and Luna introduced Harriet to Every Flavored Beans, luckily the least desirable flavor they found was pepper. Even Theo got on the fun, nibbling on the end of his sugar quill while he helped Harriet practice writing on a spare parchment.

As the sun set over the horizon, the train pulled into Hogsmede station. Everyone retrieved their robes from their trunks and got changed, the mood buzzing with excitement as the halls of the train began to fill with students.

“Don’t worry, the House Elves will come and take our things.” Luna explained to Harri in a dreamy voice when she moved to pick up Hedwig’s cage.

“Oh thanks Luna.” Harriet turned to the hooting owl, “goodbye girl, I’ll see you as soon as I can. Find yourself a nice rat to eat, okay?”

Hedwig hooted, brushing her head into the witch’s hand.

- _$Excited Harriet? I can ssssmeell it in the air$-_ Shiva whispered in the back of her mind.

-Of course I’m excited, I’m finally going to get to be a mage like Narcissa and Lucius and Severus and my Parents!-

-You will be an excellent witch, your magicssss are all but bursssting out of you-

Harriet followed the crowd out of the train, making sure to stick close to Luna and the others. As she exited the train, the largest man that she’s ever seen was waving his lamp around.

“Firs’ Years! Firs’ Years! Over here!” He called, his beady blue eyes scanning through the crowd over his big bushy beard. The group quickly made their way over to the man along with the rest of the first years. “No more than four to a boat!”

Harriet saw dozens of boats rocking gently in the water. She climbed into the boat followed by Luna, Daphne, then Blaise.

“Don’t worry about me.” Theo said, “I’m going to go find Draco, see you at the feast!” Before running off.

The ride up to the castle was _magical_. A full moon and a night sky straight out of a panting as the boats sailed up the glassy waters towards the castle. Harri stuck her hand into the water and found it pleasantly cool.

The boats glid into a small grotto where everyone climbed off, heading up the stairs, making their way as one mass towards a grand set of doors where a woman stood with a curt look on her face. She had her grey hair set in a tight bun and was staring down at the group critically from behind her glasses.

“Here you go, Pr’fessor McGonagall.” The man nodded.

“Thank you, Hagrid.” she replied as he lumbered off.

“Welcome to Hogwarts.” she announced to the students, “We are about to begin the Sorting Ceremony. When I call your name, you will be sorted into one of the four houses. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.” She ordered them into a loose line and then opened the door to the great hall.

Whispers immediately began to break out,

“I heard you have to fight a chimera!”

“That’s ridiculous, my brother said that you have to spill your blood and be judged by lady magic herself!”

“All I know is that Harriet Potter is here, and we’re going to be the best of friends and when we both get sorted into Gryffindor we’re going to go on all sorts of adventures!”

Harri turned at her name, seeing a red-headed boy covered in freckles boasting to a bushy brown-haired girl and a meek boy cowering behind a toad.

“And how do you know that Harriet would even give you the time of day, Weasel?” Draco drawled, walking out of the crowd.

“The name is Ron, _Malfoy._ ” The boy spat, “And I’m sure that she would rather spend time with me than a slimy snake like you!”

“Ten points from whatever house you get sorted into, Mister Weasley.”

Ron jumped, Severus had at some point appeared behind the group,

“What for?” Ron whined.

Severus’s lip curled into a sneer, “Ten points for desecrating the floors. Ten more for talking back to a professor.”

Ron looked aghast, but with a flourish of his cape Severus was gone.

All attention was focused on the center of the room. A single stool was sat in between the four table with a sad crumpled hat upon it. In an instant the hat bounced, its fabric breaking out in a grin,

"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

 

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

 

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

 

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

 

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

 

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

 

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folks use any means

To achieve their ends.

 

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

 

“Please come forward when I call your name.” Professor McGonagall called, unfurling a scroll in her hand, “Hannah Abbot!”

A girl with straight blonde hair walked nervously up to the stool and sat down, the hat being settled on her head. After a few tense moments the hat bellowed, “HUFFLEPUFF”

Hannah smiled as she stood up and ran over to the Hufflepuff table to applause, the lining of her robes turning yellow and her tie becoming yellow and black striped.

And so, it went one by one. Luna, Draco, and Theo were all sorted into Slytherin. The bushy haired girl whose name was Hermione Granger was sorted into Gryffindor. The meek looking Neville Longbottom was sorted into Hufflepuff.

As the sorting went on, a deep frown started to form on Harriet’s face. She noticed that Gryffindors were sorted with great applause and approval. Hufflepuffs and then Ravenclaws received notably less fanfare. Slytherin’s barely seemed to be received at all, the only cheering coming from the Slytherin table itself, even only half of the Head table politely clapping as the silver-and-emerald clad students joined the table underneath the snake banner.

And then Harri got closer to the front of the line. Padma Patil was swiftly sorted into Ravenclaw, her twin Parvarti into Gryffindor. A few minutes passed before the hat sent Pansy Parkinson and Sally-Anne Perks to Slytherin and Hufflepuff respectively.

Harri stood at the front of the line, feeling hundreds of eyes staring at her. Professor McGonagall called, “Harriet Potter!”

Whispers immediately broke out across the Great Hall as she strode up to the stool. The Headmaster watched with great interest behind his half-moon spectacles, his blue eyes twinkling. Harri sat down, jamming the hat on her head quickly in an attempt to get it over with.

_“Oh, I don’t think that it’s going to be that easy now, Miss Potter.”_ A very old and deep voice rippled in the back of her mind.

Harriet’s eyes widened with alarm, _“Wh-who are you?”_

_“No need to be alarmed, Miss Potter, although I can certainly see why you would fear a stranger in your head. I am Alistair, although most simply refer to me as the Sorting Hat.”_

_“Oh. So, you’re Alive?”_

_“I’m afraid the debate of what is or isn’t alive would take far too much time than has been afforded to us. I am what I am, Miss Harriet. The complex enchantments woven into me by the Founders allow me to sort through your memories and personality to determine where best to put you. Contrary to popular myth, I don’t actually contain any brains.”_

Harri blinked, shifting on the stool.

_“My Memories?”_

_“Yes, and I will answer your question before you can ask it. No, I cannot tell anybody else your secrets. Not even Headmaster Dumbledore.”_

_“Thank you.”_ Harriet personally thought far too many people knew of her secrets already.

_“Now the question of where to put you. I’ve been, ah,_ inclined _to believe that you were going to be convinced that Gryffindor would be best for you.”_

_“Inclined?”_

_“Nothing for you to worry yourself with. In my Judgement, Slytherin will lead you on the way to greatness. I don’t think that you would find yourself fitting in the house of bravery.”_

Harriet looked over to the Slytherin table where Draco was sat with Luna and Theo. She suddenly became painfully aware that she’d been underneath the hat far longer than anyone else.

_“I wouldn’t mind Slytherin at all, and I don’t see why anybody else would.”_

_“Quite so, which is why you’ll be best in.”_ The seams of the hat opened declaring, “SLYTHERIN.”

All noise stopped. In a hall with almost a thousand people, you could hear every odd cough or the scrape of a chair against the stone. Harriet stood, placing the hat back on the stool as her tie and robes gained emerald and silver trimming when Draco stood up, slowly clapping. Eventually all Slytherin was clapping as well as the teachers, but the look on people’s faces Harri knew all too well. It was the same look that Aunt Petunia gave her when she had done something “freakish.”

She made her way over to the table and took a seat between Luna and Theo as Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and started calling names again.

“Don’t worry Harri.” Luna whispered dreamily, “There’s an extremely high population of blibbering humdingers in the castle that tend to fog people’s sight. They often breed in the presence of particularly stubborn goats.”

Harriet blinked, having no clue what that meant “Thanks Luna.”

The rest of the sorting continued normally. When Blaise was finally sorted into Slytherin, the stool and the hat vanished, McGonagall heading back up to the table where she sat next to the Headmaster.

Dumbledore stood, “Welcome one and all to the 1991 Hogwarts School Year! I have a few announcements to make, but first, a feast!”

And with that, the tables filled with food. Harriet saw roasts and puddings and ribs and chicken, anything that one could want! She noticed people were piling plates high, but Harri took a modest portion. Looking at her empty goblet, she looked around and found no pitchers,

“Theo,” Harriet turned to the boy currently taking a swig of a dark colored juice, “where do you get a drink?”

Theo looked at the girl bewildered before murmuring, “just ask.”

Harri frowned, but looked at her goblet and whispered, “orange juice?”

The goblet rapidly filled with a vibrant orange fluid. Harri picked it up and cautiously brought it to her lips. Sweet, tangy juice filled her throat. Magic was brilliant.

Dinner was as filling as delicious as it was at the Malfoy’s. Harriet tried to eat as much as she could, though it still wasn’t as much as the people around her.

When pudding was served and Harri was helping herself to some treacle tart, the steady ringing of a fork tapping against silver drew everyone’s attention to the front to Dumbledore.

He stood up with a smile on his face, his arms wide.

“As I said before, Welcome to Hogwarts! It’s always nice to see faces old and new. Before your prefects lead you all back to your dorm, I have a few announcements to make. As our caretaker Argus Filch would remind me for what he claims to be the four hundred and seventy-third time, spellcasting in the halls between classes is strictly forbidden. As are dung bombs, fanged frisbees, and a large number of items that may be found listed outside of his office in room 12B on the ground floor. Wand Weighing by Genevive Ollivander will take place the first week of the semester, each schedule by house and year will be posted in your common room. Our beloved spectered History Professor Cuthbert Binns has decided to move on to the afterlife” there was great applause to this, “Timothy Broadmoor has graciously accepted to take on the position after graduating last year from Hufflepuff with 9 NEWTs.”

Professor Broadmoor stood and did a bow to polite applause. Dumbledore continued, “unfortunately Professor Ainsbury has decided that his recovery from Faerie Flu isn’t sufficient to return to his post in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Thankfully Quirinus Quirrell has come back from his sabbatical in Albania and has taken up the position. Charity Burbage will remain the Muggle Studies professor.”

Dumbledore cleared his throat, and Harriet could have sworn that he was staring right at her when he said this,

“finally, a reminder to students of all ages that the Forbidden Forest is explicitly Forbidden, and not to explore the third corridor on the right-hand side unless you wish to suffer a long and extremely painful death. Now I send you off to your dorms with these words. Klinklang! Gible! Pikipek!”

Before Harri really had any time to consider that information the noise picked up as everyone started to migrate out of the Great Hall. “First Years to me!” A female voice said at the end of the Slytherin table, it was a girl with black hair cropped into a pixie cut and steel grey eyes. On her robes was a shining badge with a P. “Follow me, you’ll want to know the way to the dungeons.”  
          Harriet and the others walked down towards the dungeons, the portraits on the walls slowly being replaced by torches that illuminated the smooth stone floors. They passed a few classrooms before arriving at a portrait of a proud looking man stroking his goatee.  
          “Place your hand on this stone and speak the password.” The girl explained, placing her hand firmly on the third stone to the left of the portrait and said to the man, “Nightshade.”

The man in the portrait nodded and he and the stone wall swung back, revealing the Slytherin Common Room.

Harri was reminded of her room in the cupboard under the stairs but found it oddly relaxing. The soft lights hung magically from the low ceilings combined with the windows into the black lake cast a cool green tinge across the room, which seemed to be split into two sections. On the left side was a large stone hearth with a crackling fire and a large couch, with numerous plush armchairs and small tables surrounding it where students seemed to be relaxing. On the right side were a number of four-sided desks and spare blackboards that seemed to be for group study sessions.

“Welcome to Slytherin House.” The Prefect said, making her way to the front of the group, “my name is Gemma Farley, and I’m your fifth-year female prefect. Your male prefect is Marcus Flint. Slytherin is the house of ambition and cunning, and we mean to show it. Professor Prince is our head of house, and he will not tolerate students who slack off. Ravenclaw may be the house of wit, but every year they fight Slytherin for the top spots academically. Don’t be the group that changes that.”

“You might have noticed at the feast that Slytherin isn’t exactly the most popular house. Some people think that Slytherin’s are dark wizards or blood supremacists. While that isn’t true, we must show a united front. Never walk in the halls in groups smaller than three. All infighting must take place in the common room, or you’re going to lose a lot more than points.

“Excellently said, Miss Farley.” A voice spoke from the shadows, spooking some of the first years as Snape emerged, “some of you come from very influential families, some of you don’t. You’ll find no favoritism here. Everyone will be judged on their own individual merit.” His lip curled as he scowled at the group.

“As the Headmaster announced, at the beginning of each year each student is to have their wand weighed. If you believe that your wand is performing poorly or is having an issue, bring it up during the examination. This is your only opportunity to blame any poor wandwork on anything but yourself. Additionally, I will be meeting with each student individually sometime over the next month to discuss course aims. Each of these meetings is strictly confidential, so if there is anything that you believe I need to know, do not be afraid to do so. Finally, the notice board is to be used for tutoring and study groups only. If I find another group signup for gobstones, that person and everyone else who signed up will find themselves scrubbing cauldrons.” He glanced at his watch, “Curfew for first years is in 30 minutes, I suggest you get some rest for your first day of classes tomorrow.”

Harriet looked around to find Luna, “well I’m pretty tired, are you?”

Luna nodded, “let’s go find our dorm.”

Harri was about to ask how Luna knew that they were even roommates before she was dragged by the hand up the left side staircase to the girl’s rooms, stopping at the third door labeled, “Harriet Potter-Luna Lovegood”

Their room was cozy if a little plain. Luna explained that they could customize their room within reason if they knew the spellwork. Harri decided that she would have to ask about that in the library at the first opportunity. She found her trunk sitting besides the right queen-sized four-poster bed, which was separated from Luna’s by a double-sided deluxe desk.

Harriet gathered her things and carried them into the bathroom the two shared and set her supplies out, taking a quick shower and changing into her pajamas. She climbed onto the bed with _Magical Drafts and Potions_ , reading for about an hour before wishing Luna goodnight and crawling into her sheets.

- _$An eventful day, Misstress$-_ Shiva whispered in the back of her mind - _$Certainly appropriate for a ssspeaker like yourself to end up in Sssalazar’ss housse of Ssserpentsss$-_

Harri grinned, eyes half closed as she pressed her face against the pillow, -I’m glad to have a few friends, it’ll be nice to be able to have some normalcy for once-

 

As Harriet slept, she did not find normalcy in her dreams.  



	7. Timetables and Turnabouts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harriet's first day at Hogwarts finally begins, and she meets Headmaster Dumbledore for the first time since she was an infant. A man is stalked in the woods by a mysterious figure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 7 is finally here. I want to thank all of you for your patience as well as your kind words of encouragement. They help more than you believe. As always this chapter was helped along by my lovely beta Cats and some inspiration and collaboration by the kind folks in the Writer's Den Discord.

March 1991, Scottish Highlands, Albania

Quirinius Quirrell had never been an adventurous man. The Ravenclaw had been very unassuming in school, keeping his nose down in his books and staying out of trouble. He’d graduated with 9 OWLs and 7 NEWTs, almost immediately turning around following his graduation applying for the first teaching position that was available. Muggle Studies wasn’t the most glamorous of subjects but having grown up with a muggle father who was adamant that he spent time with his muggle family and be able to function equally in the muggle world he certainly appreciated how ignorant the children of magical Britain could be.

So why had he decided to take a sabbatical and currently sitting in a 100-galleon magical tent in the middle of the forest? Not even he was quite sure that he could answer that. To clear his head perhaps; reevaluate his priorities. Dumbledore had certainly been understanding about the whole thing, almost taking the words out of his mouth as he’d stumbled into the headmaster’s office.

Quirinius climbed out of the tent and went for a quick stroll, casting a wordless heating charm on his cloak. The bowtruckles paid him no mind as he walked past the glittering stream. Quirrell nearly stumbled over a particularly large knot when he saw it.

Not 30 feet away was a unicorn foal. Quirrell didn’t know much about the care of magical creatures, but the filly couldn’t have been no older than two years. She was drinking from the glen before pausing to look back at him with piercing blue eyes. It was a spine-tingling gaze, leaving Quirrell frozen in place. He’d never subscribed to the legend that unicorns were able to judge people’s souls. Hell, his wand was unicorn hair. Shouldn’t that speak to the man’s character?

~Who isss thiss? Who hass come to visssit?~ A loud unintelligible hissing filled Quirrell’s ears before he fell into blackness.

 

* * *

 

 Present Day, September 2nd, 1991, Hogwarts.

            Harriet rolled over. Even after six weeks she was still unused to sleeping in these too-comfy beds with actual mattresses and blankets that clung to her skin and made her feel all-too-hot. She sat up, blinked, then darted her hand towards the nightstand and blindly grabbing. Oh wait, she couldn’t find her glasses because she no longer _wore_ glasses. Right.

            ~Good Morning Misstresss~ Shiva whispered, crawling up her arm in tattoo form before shifting back into amphiptere form to rest on her shoulders.

            -Good Morning Shiva, Did you sleep well?- Harriet replied in thought.

            ~Ssshiva hass no need for ssleep. Watchess over Misstress to protect her~ The serpent bobbed his head, tongue brushing against her cheek as it flicked in the air.

            -Well I’m sure that’s not necessary but thank you.- Harriet blushed.

            She brushed her hair back as her eyes adjusted to the dark. She wasn’t sure what time of the morning it was, the window outside her dorm was to the murky waters of the black lake. Harri recalled Draco mentioning in passing during one dinner that you could enchant magical windows to reflect any view. Perhaps later she’d ask Luna if she knew about the charm.

            Across the room Luna’s bed sat with the curtains drawn. Harri crept past as she shuffled towards the bathroom. Once she’d washed, brushed, and made use of the loo, she went back to her room to quietly gather her things. She was thinking she could use this time to read before breakfast.

            “Harriet? Where are you going?” Luna’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Harri looked over to find the girl sitting on her bed cross-legged.

            “Oh, hello Luna, I hope I didn’t wake you. I was just going to sit in the common room.

            “Oh you didn’t wake me, the nargles did,” she stated matter of fact. Luna took her hawthorne wand and gave it a swish, muttering “ _Tempus_.”

            A bright purple light glowed at the tip of her wand, but nothing else happened.

            “Hmm, it’s only about seven-thirty. We have about an hour before breakfast.” Luna smiled, “would you like to meditate with me? Your familiar is welcome to join us. Good Morning Shiva.”

            Harriet blinked, Shiva hissing as she realized that she didn’t actually tell Luna what Shiva’s name is. Her only experience with meditation was a passing discussion that Aunt Petunia’s lady group was having where they dismissed the thing as a freakish fad being pushed on the public by foreigners.

            “Sure, I suppose so,” Harriet nodded. “If you’ll tell me what to do.”

            Luna smiled, scooting off her bed and walking over to the rug in the center of the room before sitting cross-legged on the floor. “Sit across from me and we can do it. It’s very relaxing.”

            As Harriet was sat across from Luna with her hands folded in her lap, she asked, “Luna, what are Nargles?”

 

* * *

 

 

            Breakfast in the great hall was just as noisy and opulent as dinner was last night. As Harri and Luna tucked in, she noticed that a full English breakfast was being served. With a blush Harriet scraped some beans onto her plate with her kippers and dry toast so nobody asked about her appetite.

            “Miss Potter,” a dull monotone voice snapped her out of a daze. She turned to see the figure of Mister Prince, or she supposed Professor Prince now, his signature mask of deep lip-curling scowl and deep gaze from over his crooked nose applied. He had his hand extended towards her, it containing a piece of parchment.

            “Good morning Professor,” she tried to smile, reaching out to take the parchment. Quickly glancing at it, it contained her timetable on the front and a small map on the back. “Oh yes, thank you,” she nodded.

            Severus deadpanned, “quite. If you are finished with your breakfast, I am to escort you to the Headmaster’s office.”

Harriet paled, “Oh… alright then. I’ll see you in charms, Luna.” She gathered her bag and stood up, following Snape out of the hall to the whispers and glances from groups from every table.

Sensing her tense up, Shiva’s tattoo shifted on her back, stretching out across her shoulders underneath her shirt and robes, ~I will protect Misstress!~ he hissed in her mind.            

-It will be okay Shiva, calm down- Harriet responded, feeling only a warm wave of magic in response.

            Harri swallowed, “Professor? What did the Headmaster say that he wanted?” It would be her luck to have broken some kind of rule or taboo before classes haven’t even started.

            Severus stopped the two in front of a statue of a pair of very intimidating gargoyles. “I haven’t the faintest. I would suggest that you keep your answers brief and to the point.” He stepped up to the Gargoyles and cleared his throat, intoning clearly, “Fizzing Whizbees.”

            The Gargoyles stood up and parted, revealing a spiral staircase that Harriet followed Snape up to Dumbledore’s Office.

            Severus approached the door and knocked it three times.

            “Yes, please come in.” The same voice that had given last nights speech replied.

            Harriet was surprised by the sight of Dumbledore’s office as she walked into it. It looked very luxurious, albeit messy. Nearly every free space on every table was crammed with books and different implements, who seemed to bounce and smoke to their own accord. A fine oak bird perch stood next to Dumbledore’s desk, but it was empty.

            This was the first time Harri had been able to see the Headmaster properly. He looked impossibly old, older than anyone she’d ever seen before, with a long silver beard that nearly went to his waist. He sat in a large almost throne-like chair, his hands folded as he smiled at her, his periwinkle eyes twinkling at her behind his half-moon spectacles. He was dressed in a very vibrant purple robes, adorned with yellow stars and celestial bodies. It definitely wasn’t something that Harriet would wear if she was trying to not draw attention to herself.

            “Harriet my girl! It’s so excellent to see you! Thank you for escorting her Professor Snape, you may leave now.”

            Severus looked like he’d just swallowed snake venom. “If it’s the same to you Headmaster, I’d rather make sure that the brat can at least get to her first class. We wouldn’t want the _Girl-who-lived_ to get lost and be tardy on her very first day.”

            Harri saw the briefest twitch of expression from Dumbledore as his eyes met Severus’s, but he returned to his grandfatherly demeanor in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it pace. “Of course, of course! It’s a large castle. You’ll be wanting to get to your classes on time.”

            Dumbledore leaned forward, adjusting his spectacles, “I just wanted to make sure you were doing well Harriet. You gave your Aunt and Uncle quite the scare when you didn’t return after shopping with Hagrid. It was an extremely foolish thing to do. Where did you stay this summer?”

            Harriet blinked, feeling a sort of throbbing in her head as she looked back at Dumbledore, “I’m sorry Professor, I’m not quite sure what you mean.”

            Dumbledore’s eye twitched, “Miss Potter, I know that you didn’t return to live with your relatives. I spoke with Petunia myself.”

            “No, I mean I didn’t go shopping with Hagrid. Do you mean the nice Gameskeeper who took us up to the school on the boats? He seems very nice.”

            Dumbledore frowned deeply at this point, his focus entirely on her, “then who took you shopping? What happened when you got your letter?”

            Severus’s scowl had only deepened. He didn’t like where this was going.

            Harri bit her lip, a deep blush settling across her cheeks, “Well sir, I don’t recall getting any letter. On Dudley’s birthday we went to the zoo, and something happened. He fell.” She brushed a lock of hair back from her face, “When we got home Uncle Vernon was very upset. He said he was going to ‘get the freakishness out of me for once and for all.’ And he removed his belt. That was the last thing I remember before I woke up I was at my other Aunt’s House.”

            Severus saw the color drain from Dumbledore’s face as he muttered, “But dear, you don’t have any other family.”

            “Oh, but I do, sir. My Aunt Narcissa said that we were related because my grandfather Charlus Potter married her Aunt Dorea Black.” Harri smiled.

            “Narcissa? Narcissa _Malfoy_?” Dumbledore gasped.

            “Yes, sir. Her and Uncle Lucius have been very kind to me this summer, they helped me heal some of my injuries.”

            Dumbledore was internally screaming. Everything had gone so very wrong very quickly. Why couldn’t he read the blasted girl’s mind? Not even Lucius Malfoy would have been able to teach the girl to be an Occlumens powerful enough to fight his own Legilimency.

            “I see,” he said vaguely, quickly collecting his thoughts. “Well the reason why I called you up here today was because I was very shocked at the sorting last night.”

            “What do you mean sir?”

            “Well Harriet both of your parents were Gryffindors, some of the brightest students of their age. It wouldn’t be a big deal to have you resorted, we could even get that done before your first class. I’ve spoken to Professor McGonagall and she’s assured me that she would love to have you and you would feel very welcome in the Lion house.”

            Harriet felt the Potter Lordship ring get very heavy and cold on her finger. “No thank you, sir, I’ve already made some friends in Slytherin. I think I’m fine where I am now. The Hat told me that Slytherin is where I belonged.

            “The Hat can get confused sometimes. I’m sure that sorting thousands of students over the years has started to wear it out and it was thinking of someone else when you were wearing it.”

            Harri frowned, “Well sir, I feel quite at home in Slytherin. My roommate is very nice. I think I can make friends there.”

            Dumbledore leaned forward, lacing his figures together, “Harriet, you don’t have to pretend in my office. I’ve been teaching in this school long enough, I understand that Slytherin’s can be quite impolite to outsiders. Just because Professor Snape is here doesn’t mean you can’t be honest with me, I’m sure you’ll be treated much better in Gryffindor.”

            “Sir, why do you keep calling him Professor Snape? He introduced himself as Professor Severus Prince.” Harriet gave a look of innocent confusion, “But I haven’t encountered any bullies, I’m sure that they can’t be much worse than my cousin Dudley.”

            Dumbledore gave an enigmatic smile, “My apologies dear, when you get to be a man of my age some things forget to cross your mind.”

            It was at this moment that Snape decided to intervene, loudly clearing his throat.

            “Headmaster, as much as I loathe to see Potter besmirch the good name that I have carefully crafted for Slytherin over the last decade, if she’s too stupid to accept a resort then she’ll have to live with where the Hat put her. Now if you’ll excuse us, I have an OWL class to teach and I’m sure Filius is starting to wonder where Potter has run off to.”

            Dumbledore looked enigmatic. To Harriet he seemed deep in thought and Severus could see his smoldering anger.

            “Of course, Professor Snape. Have an excellent day, Harriet my girl.”

 

* * *

 

 

            As the two walked out of sight of the gargoyles, Severus cursed to himself.

            “Harriet.” He murmured as the two ascended the staircase.

            “Yes, professor?” Harri looked back, her expression recoiled and timid.

            “You handled the meeting with the headmaster very well. Ten points to Slytherin.”

            Harri frowned, “I don’t understand, sir.”

            Severus stopped as they reached the second floor, extending a hand to squeeze her shoulder, “When we are at school, I must act a certain way. I am expected to express a certain... _politic._ ” He frowned, “It is imperative that Dumbledore still believes that I do not know you or your circumstances, and therefore in his eyes I think that you are the horrid wretched spawn of your father and I have been lead to believe that you grew up a pampered princess like the rest of the wizarding world was lead to believe.”

            Harriet’s eyes hardened, Shiva’s hissing filled her ear as he slithered angrily across her back, “Yes sir, I understand.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One quick note: Dumbledore is calling Severus "Professor Snape" on purpose. He is well aware of how much Severus hated his father and wants nothing to do with the name. Everytime he calls him that he is making a subtle dig against him. 
> 
> Even without Lordships, it never made sense to me in Canon why Severus kept using his Father's surname. People have gone by the maiden name of their other parent/guardian for a lot less.


	8. Potions and Wand Weighing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harri starts to settle into her classes!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this isn't a very dry chapter, but I enjoyed writing it! I wanted to get this finished so you lovely people could read it. 
> 
> My beta for this chapter was the lovely TheOnlyCeeCeeJ! 
> 
> Reviews help get chapters out faster, please let me know what you think!

September 19, 1991

     The next few days at Hogwarts were a complete blur. Charms and Transfiguration involved taking notes and going over the syllabus. In Herbology, they’d reviewed the different equipment that they would be using in the first semester and the differences in types of soil. Harri mostly stuck either with Luna or to herself, but a few of the other girls in her year were quite nice. She’d eaten a few meals with Millicent Bulstrode and Daphne Greengrass, and they’d introduced her to the Hufflepuff Susan Bones and the Ravenclaw Padma Patil, who’d insisted that they form a study group so that they could do homework together.

     Harri had easily agreed. She was absolutely pants at writing with a quill, even with the medications that she’d been taking since the summer to help the trembling in her hands. She still hadn’t told Luna or the others about her summer, not sure how she would even begin to approach that subject.

     On the morning of her third day at Hogwarts, a very regal black Eagle Owl landed in front of her plate, giving her a steely gaze.

     “Err...” Harri blinked at it.

     Luna tilted her head with her signature dreamlike look, “It’s quite normal for owls to expect some kind of tribute for making the journey. Just offer it a bit of food~”

     Harriet carefully lifted her plate in its direction and watched it snatch the bacon from her plate. It extended its leg long enough for the letter to be carefully untied before it flew off without a second look at her.

     The handwriting was flowing and quite neat. She flipped over the crisp letter in her hands. An ornate wax seal of two imposing dragons on either side of a large M. Cautiously, Harri cracked it open and pulled out the parchment.

_Harriet,_

_Draco tells me that you were sorted into Slytherin. Lucius and I would have been proud no matter where you were sorted, but congratulations. You will do very well in the house of Cunning and Creativity. If you ever need any help, I know that Severus has always taken good care of his Snakes. Of course, you can always send me a letter. Hedwig is a quite beautiful owl and it would be a delight to see her again._

_I hope that this letter finds you well and you are excited to start your first year. I hope to hear from you soon._

_Much Love,_

_Narcissa Malfoy_

     Harriet felt a pit forming in her stomach. Of course the Malfoys wanted to hear from her! Aunt Narcissa and Uncle Lucius had been so generous taking her in and she hadn’t even thought to send them a letter! She was so ungrateful; how could she have been so callous and rude. Harriet immediately resolved to communicate more frequently with Narcissa and send an apology.

     She looked guiltily over to where Draco was sitting with Theodore, Blaise, and two larger boys that she knew were Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. She briefly met his gaze before dropping down to her plate. Draco’s behavior to her the past few days at Hogwarts were certainly not as openly hostile as he’d been in the past. He’d largely stuck to pretending that she didn’t exist. Her largely uneaten breakfast stared up at her but the thought of eating another bite made her nauseous.

     “Something wrong, Harri?” Luna asked as she was gathering her bag.

     “Huh? N-no, thanks Luna.” Harri scrambled to get her things together as they headed down to the dungeons, feeling another twinge of guilt. Her bag was extremely nice and probably just as expensive. Her birthday gift from Narcissa felt undeserved. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia hadn’t even acknowledged her birthday ever since she’d been 6. She wiped back a tear as they stopped in front of the Potions classroom.

     “Hey Potter!” A voice called from behind her.

     She whipped her head around. It was a tall ginger boy with an extremely dirty nose.

     “Yes?”

     “I can’t believe you were sorted into the House of Slimy Snakes! Some savior of the Wizarding World you’ve turned out to be.”

     Harriet was dumbfounded, completely unsure as to what to say.

     “Who are you?” She replied simply.

     “I’m Ron Weasley,” he said in a way that implied that it was something Harriet should have already known. “How about instead of being with nutters like Loony Lovegood and greasy gits like Draco Malfoy, you hang out with me and Seamus?” He gestured to a freckled boy next to him, “We’ll make a proper Griffin of you yet. We’re going to go on all kinds of adventures and save the world.”

     “Err, I…”

     “What, are you scared? The Girl Who Lived is a chickenshit coward?”

     “Mister Weasley,” a familiar voice drawled, causing the entire class to jump as Professor Prince appeared behind them from seemingly nowhere. “Fifteen points from Gryffindor for swearing in the halls. I suggest that you get into the classroom before I take another fifteen for tardiness.”

     Ron and the rest of Gryffindor scrambled into the room while the rest of Slytherin shuffled in behind them.

     The Potions classroom was quite different than the others that Harri had seen. The room was lit with flickering torches hanging off the sconces. There were tables of cold stone with room for two sets of two groups, given how the burners were setup.

     As Harriet sat down next to Luna, she noticed that the room was split perfectly down the middle with Gryffindors and Slytherins. Nobody had dared to intermingle, and a few groups seemed to be exchanging glares. Harri caught a few words of a whispered conversation that Draco was having with Theo about it the next station over from hers.

    Without a word, Snape lifted a hand in the air and a scroll flew into it. He unrolled it and immediately started calling the roll. Unlike Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout he didn’t stop at her name to comment.

     “I am Professor Severus Prince.” He spoke in a harsh whisper, but the class was deadly silent. He commanded attention and respect in a frightening way. “Potions is a careful art and requires a keen eye and a patient hand. Many of you won’t have the respect for the subtle craft that I am about to teach you. However, those gifted enough to _pay attention,_ ” he seemed to give particular emphasis to these words, “will learn how to master a craft that will allow you to bottle fame, brew glory, or even stopper death.”

     Harriet had her quill out and was carefully attempting to copy all of this down. A snickering rang out from the Gryffindor side of the room, which immediately drew Severus’ ire.

     “Miss Dunbar! How many measures of Standard Ingredient do you add to a Forgetfulness Potion if you are using a Brass Cauldron?”

     The mousy girl with dark brown hair shook her head, “I don’t know, Professor.”

     “Didn’t read before class? A shame.” His lip curled, sweeping through the room, “Weasley! How do you prepare a Puffapod so that it doesn’t become immediately toxic when exposed to powdered Shrike scales?”

     Ron scowled, “Why don’t you ask Hermione, she obviously knows the answer.” The bucktoothed girl had her hand high in the air

     “Did I ask her? Five points for cheek.”

     He turned to the Slytherin side of the room, “Greengrass! Where on a Wiggentree would you want to harvest it’s bark?”

     Daphne frowned, “I know that Wiggentree bark is supposed to be as fresh as possible for potency, sir.”

     Snape nodded, “Two points to Slytherin. Although it would be preferable to harvest Wiggentree bark from its newest branches to ensure the most restorative properties, it’s most often harvested from fallen branches, lest you be mauled by Bowtruckles for attempting to scalp their homes. Potter!”

     Harriet snapped up, putting her quill down. “Yes Sir?”

     “What is another name for Aconite?”

     She swallowed. Aconitum was an extremely toxic flower, which had properties as a natural pain-reliever and a sedative. “Monkshood and Wolfsbane, Sir?”

     Snape smiled, “Ten points to Slytherin. Many plants go by several names, and it’s important that you dunderheads are aware of that before you get someone killed.” He rapped his wand against the blackboard and instructions began to appear in precise lettering. “You will be brewing the Cure for Boils today. Your 40 minutes begins now.”

     Luna flipped open her textbook to the Cure for Boils as Harriet took out her cauldron, knives, and scales. Thankfully one of the few things that she had managed to learn while living with the Dursley’s was how to cook, so she carefully began to slice the pungous onions while Luna crushed the snake fangs with her pestle and heated Harri’s Cauldron.

     Harri had just begun to add the flobberworm mucus when a loud BANG erupted in the classroom followed by a sickly fizzle.

     “WEASLEY!” Snape bellowed.

     Ron had become white as a sheet as he stood as far away back from his now extremely melted cauldron. Seamus was currently flailing as his face and arms erupted in bright pink pustules the size of golf balls.

     “Does the fact that the book and the board both attempt to impress upon you that you are _not to add porcupine quills to direct heat_ MEAN NOTHING?” He slammed his hands on the table, “Thirty points from Gryffindor, and detention for a week. You may escort Mister Finnegan to the hospital wing, you are both receiving a Troll for this week’s lesson.”

     Ron looked absolutely furious, but he collected his bag and left the room silently, a whimpering Seamus following behind him closely.

     “You all have ten minutes,” Snape said unimpressed as he vanished the ruined potion and its contents, returning to his desk.

     The potion that Harriet and Luna ladled into a phial for grading was a bit brighter of a shade of purple than the book described, but Harri was satisfied with the pink smoke that wafted from it. As she began to put her things away and Luna took their potion up to the desk, Snape called out, “Miss Potter, a moment after class, please.”

     Harriet slowly approached the desk after everyone had shuffled out, Luna promising to wait outside the door so they could both walk to Magical Theory together.

     “Yes, Professor?”

     Severus looked down at her sternly, “Your health check is to take place tomorrow after lunch. Afterwards you are to meet me in my office for your advisory meeting. It is imperative that you answer Madam Pomfrey’s questions _honestly._ Poppy takes her Healer’s Oath of Confidentiality extremely seriously.”

     Harriet nodded, swallowing, “Yes sir.” She adjusted her bag on her shoulder before turning to leave.

     “And Potter.”

     “Yes sir?” Harri asked, turning her head.

     “I am very pleased with your brew today.”

 

* * *

 

 

     Albus sat in quiet contemplation as the professors shuffled into the teacher’s lounge for the first staff meeting during the school year. His plans would require a careful hand if things were to go as planned for the next few years. The Potter brat seemed extremely mousy and reserved just like he’d wanted, but she was friends with the Lovegood girl. That wouldn’t do. Pandora and Xenophilius were always free-spirited individuals who asked far too many questions. Even in the last war they were questioning him when he called for things like the disbanding of the military. Clearly the girl had shown her families true dark colors by being sorted in Slytherin. It would be easy to convince Harriet to disassociate herself once she was resorted into Gryffindor and spent her time with Weasley.

     The last of the staff members were finding their seats as Dumbledore called to order, grandfatherly smile on his face and twinkle in his eye as he sent a nonverbal flick of his wand to close the door behind Professor Kettleburn.

     “Welcome to the first staff meeting of the year. I hope that we are all having a wonderful start to things.” He sat back in his chair, looking at his heads of houses, “I take it that the weighing of the wands had no issues?” As much as Dumbledore loathed the practice, the board of Governors had mandated that every student’s wand be inspected at the beginning of each year before they began practicing spellwork after several unfortunate incidents involving backfires.

     Pomona Sprout was the first to speak up, “My badgers got through just fine. I believe there were only four wands requiring minor repair. Although I am going to have to send a very sternly worded owl.” Her face twisted into a scowl, “After much coaxing and tears I learned that Augusta Longbottom attempted to send little Neville to school with his father’s wand.”

     Anger and frustration rippled throughout the teachers. Frank and Alice Longbottom were heroes of the last war, and to attempt to force Frank’s wand on the boy was despicable. Between two ministry pensions and the substantial Longbottom-Hufflepuff fortune, Augusta had more than enough money to afford a new wand for the boy.

     “Pomona, if you’re too busy I would love to take the boy to Diagon to get his wand,” Filius piped up. Alice Meadows-Hufflepuff had been one of his favorite students when she was in school, and the duel master couldn’t stand to see the injustice of her boy not having a proper wand.

     “Thank you Filius, I’m very caught up with other things,” Pomona admitted.

     Filius, Minerva, and Severus all reported that they had received no reports regarding issues with their students’ wands. Albus briefly considered asking about Harriet’s wand, but wandmakers were very secretive about their craft. He would likely have to legilimens the girl to make sure she was using the Holly wand he had imperiused Gregorovitch into preparing for her.

     After hearing from the 5th and 7th year teachers about their OWL and NEWT plans respectively, Albus wrapped up the meeting. Longbottom getting a new wand shouldn’t change things too much, with the 85% binding Albus put on his core, the boy was practically a squib.

 

* * *

 

 

     Harriet sat on the edge of a bed in the Hospital Wing as the stern mediwitch waved her wand over her.

     Poppy Pomfrey honestly hadn’t known what to expect when Harriet Potter had come into her hospital wing. She knew that the girl had been raised by muggles, but from what she was seeing from the scans she almost wondered if she’d been raised by feral animals. The potions and treatments in her system were more suited to a victim of a Werewolf attack then a girl of only eleven.

     “Dear, I’m going to put up the curtain and I’m going to ask you to strip down to your underwear,” she said softly.

     Harri nodded, having half expected this. She carefully peeled off her clothes, much to Poppy’s horror. Her welts and bruises had managed to heal over since her rescue from the Dursley’s, but some of the angrier cuts that had gotten infected were still angry and red.

     “Oh, oh dear…” Madam Pomfrey blinked back tears. “Right, are you in much pain?” She couldn’t imagine what the girl has been through.

     “No ma’am,” Harriet murmured. And it was the truth, she was much less sore than she could remember, and her stamina was steadily growing.

     “Well if its all the same I’m going to start you on something that will hopefully make your joints less stiff and help you sleep better at night,” she explained, examining the girl’s hands as she described the changes to her daily medications and routines she was prescribing. “And you’re very thin my dear, I want you to try to eat more. Have you met with a mind healer?”

     Harriet shook her head, “A mind healer?”

     Madam Pomfrey nodded, “A mind healer is a healer who sits down with you and helps you organize your thoughts and move past psychological traumas. One method that they often use is instructing you in a mind art known as Occulmency. I will have a private meeting with Severus to go over your schedule to discuss when you would have some free time.”

     Harri nodded, “Thank you Madam Pomfrey, that would be very helpful.”

 

* * *

 

 

September 20th, 1991 1:21 AM

               Quirinus Quirrell was sat at his desk in his office as he finished marking the last of the fifth year essays on Necromantic Rituals that used Pogrebins when he doubled over, feeling a splitting pain in the back of his neck. His body burned and his face was flush.

               ~Quirrell..~ A snakelike voice hissed menacingly in the back of his mind.

               “Yes master? What is it that you require?” Quirrell dared not fake a stutter around his Master. It annoyed him as it was having to listen to it while he was teaching.

               ~We must prepare for Sssamhain. The sstone will be at its most powerful when the veil isss at it’ss weakessst.~

               “Yes, Master. The Headmaster has tasked me with preparing my own defenses. It will be a perfect distraction.”

               Even though Thomas Marvolo Gaunt was barely what could be considered a shade, he knew his victory was all but secured.


	9. Letters and Lustrations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harri visits Professor Snape to talk about how she's adjusting to Hogwarts, and Narcissa continues to protect Harriet as she can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this one is a little shorter than normal, and I apologize. I've been trying to write at a regular pace so you guys dont go too long without content and I've hit a bit of a wall as to what else I could add to the chapter given where it ended up going. As always, please let me know how you feel in the comments, good or bad! We've hit almost 500 kudos and 200 bookmarks! That's absolutely crazy. I never would have guessed that this story would have gotten this far so quickly.
> 
> One quick note is that this chapter is not Beta'd! I've read it through a few times and nothing super stood out to me, but there might be one or two errors who slip through the cracks. If you are interested in potentially being a beta (mostly checking for minor grammatical errors, making sure that I have continuity in order, and occasionally bouncing a few ideas), please send me an email at turntechgodhead56@gmail.com and I will send you my Discord information. Thank you!

September 19, 7:00 PM

                Harriet was feeling nauseous as she walked past the Potion’s classrooms to Professor Prince’s office. At dinner she’d kept Madam Pomfrey’s words in mind about eating more when Daphne had passed her the shepherd’s pie. She’d managed a full plate and a little bit of pudding, but it had still left her feeling overly full. At least the potions that she was taking had helped the shaking in her hands a great deal. Harri swallowed the lump in her throat as she knocked on the door.

                Severus opened the door, giving her a stern glare, “Miss Potter, enter.” He closed the door behind her and pulled out his thin wand and wrapped it against the stone walls. The walls, floor, and ceiling pulsed with a twisting rose-vine like light in scarlet red before fading again. Severus made his way over to his desk and sat down.

                “I have activated my best privacy wards. Nobody else will be aware of what goes on in this conversation unless you wish for them to be.” He uttered with complete seriousness.

                Harri was bewildered that anybody would be interested in her privacy, but nodded, “Thank you, sir.”

                Prince briefly glanced at some papers on his desk, “Now the circumstances of this meeting are slightly different than your peers simply because I’ve personally bore witness to a few of the things that I would normally ask about.”

                Harri bit her lip, “Err, right.”

                Severus frowned, “Miss Potter, there is nothing that you have to be anxious about. Although your situation was quite..acute, I assure you that you aren’t the first Slytherin student to have difficult parentage, and unfortunately you will not be the last. Although I wish to help you because your Mother was my good friend, as your head of House it is quite literally my job. You do not inconvenience me to ensure that you are healthy and comfortable.”

                Harri carefully considered his words, “I suppose you’re right, sir. I’ve just never..” she trailed off.

                “Had people genuinely interested in supporting you before and therefore you are afraid that they are simply doing so out of charity or so that you might owe them in the future?”

                Harriet blushed, not responding.

                Snape steepled his fingers, considering his words carefully.

                “May I tell you a secret, Miss Potter?”

                “You can call me Harriet, Sir.”

                “Very well. May I tell you a secret, Harriet?”

                Harri hadn’t ever been asked to keep a secret before, but she nodded slowly.

                Snape inhaled, “Very well. My father was a muggle man named Tobias Snape. My mother was a witch who went by the name Eileen Prince. She met my father in a muggle pub shortly after her seventh year. They married a year later.”

                Harriet’s eyes widened. She knew from reputation that Severus was an extremely private person.

                “Unfortunately, the thing that my mother didn’t realize until it was far too late that the reason why she met Tobias Snape at that pub was because he spent little time elsewhere.” The sneer on his face was prominent. “My father was a crippling alcoholic. I quickly grew to _understand_ how much of a _mistake_ that he believed me to be. He didn’t tolerate magic in the slightest, accidental or otherwise, in his presence.”

                Harriet flinched, remembering a particularly bad whipping she’d received when her teacher had accused Harri of being somehow turning her hair blue. She’d spent two straight days in the cupboard without a lightbulb.

                Severus raised an eyebrow, but did not probe, “I found solace in Hogwarts. While I hope you won’t have to, I hope you understand that people do care about you.”

                Harri blinked back tears, nodding, “Yes sir, thank you.”

                Severus reached behind his desk and placed a vial of lavender fluid before her, “Calming Draught, I brewed it myself. Take it if you wish.”

                Harriet gently picked up the glass container and tossed it back, immediately feeling a wave of relief wash over her. She looked at Severus to thank him, but he held a hand to indicate that it wasn’t needed.

                “Now is there anything that you wish to discuss about settling in? The reports that I’ve heard from your teachers so far has been glowing, and the potion you turned in this afternoon was certainly above the standard I expect for an “Outstanding” for first year students.”

                Harri took a deep breath. Her grades in primary had always been horrid so that she could place below Dudley, but she had hoped that if she worked hard she could make up for the gap.

                “Yes sir, Madam Pomfrey mentioned this afternoon something about Mind Healing.”

                “Mind Healing is certainly possible and could be quite beneficial for you. I could arrange for you to meet with one in a private office twice a week during your off period. I would recommend that you find a Mind Healer that specialized in teaching Occlumency.”

                “What’s Occlumency, sir?”

                “Occlumency is the magical art of sorting your mind. Many wixen study it to build defenses against Legilimency, the art of intruding into another mind.” Harriet gave a look of brief alarm before Severus could placate her, “Fortunately for you the inheritance rings that you are wearing afford you some enchanted defense against unwanted intrusions, as well as minor jinxes and curses and most poisons.

                Harriet felt a pit in her stomach as she remembered how her ring had gotten very cold when she was in Dumbledore’s office as he was asking her if she wished to be resorted.

                “Because most people are dunderheads, they don’t understand that Occlumency accomplishes much more. By arranging and compartmentalizing your mental palace, you are able to handle your emotions much better, recall memory much more easily, and feel more refreshed if you meditate daily.”

                “Luna was teaching me how to meditate!”

                Severus smiled, “Miss Lovegood is a very wise individual. Now I will give you some books on Occlumency that you may borrow. Do I have your permission to contact some associates of mine to arrange you a meeting with a mind healer? You will have my utmost discretion.”

                Harriet smiled, “Yes sir, I would like that very much.”

                Severus walked over to a bookshelf and removed a thick looking tome that he handed to Harriet titled _Sorting the Senses_ by Horatio Plimbully. She gave thanks and he dismissed her. Remembering breakfast, Harri headed to the Owlery to write to Narcissa.

                _Aunt Narcissa,_

_Thank you for your letter! I’m sorry that I didn’t write earlier. I’ve been practicing my writing; I hope that you can read this and it doesn’t look horrible! I like all of my classes so far except for History, but I think I like potions the most. I’m roommates with Luna Lovegood, a girl I met on the train who’s really nice. She’s teaching me how to meditate, which Professor Prince says is a good way to begin practicing something called Occlumency._

_I haven’t seen Draco around much but I promise that I’ll try to spend more time with him! I hope that everything is good at home. Say Hi to Uncle Lucius for me!_

_Sincerely,_

_Harri_

* * *

 

 

                Narcissa Black nee Malfoy was sitting on the terrace of Malfoy Manor enjoying afternoon tea gazing out at the garden as she spotted Hedwig gracefully glide through the wards towards her, followed by a second plain-but-professional looking tawny owl. Narcissa called Dobby to bring some owl treats, which she had ready when they landed gracefully on the table in front of her.

                Narcissa removed Hedwig’s letter first, giving it a warm stroke with the back of her hand before she flew away, a treat in her beak. The second owl did accept a treat but stood stalwart after its letter was removed, looking at Narcissa expectedly for a reply. She decided to read Harriet’s letter first to ensure there was no emergency.

Little Luna would be in Harriet’s year, Narcissa mused. From what she remembered the girl was a little airy, but any daughter of Pandora Lovegood would sure to be bright. While Abraxas Malfoy had certainly _frowned_ upon his sons elopement, Xenophilius had never been formally disowned from the family, and Lucius always maintained a cordial relationship with his half-brother, if a little formal. She would certainly have to have them over for dinner.

                The contents of Harri’s letter were both uplifting and concerning. The girl that she’d help save that July afternoon had been a horrifying sight, and it was all in her need to see the girl live and thrive that kept her from hexing those awful muggles into ash. It was clear from the beginning that since her parents the girl hadn’t received anything close to care, let alone love. She’d almost wanted to hold the girl at home for a year to recover and become reacquainted with society, but Lucius had been firm that she needed to go to Hogwarts with Draco, lest her social development and anxiety only flourish further.

                Narcissa kept regular correspondence with Severus. While he didn’t betray her secrets, nor would she ever expect him to, he did confide in her that Harri was still very quiet and withdrawn and continued to eat worryingly little. It was clear to Narcissa that the Dursley’s had never cared to feed her, but nutritional potions would only go so far in her recovery. Perhaps she’ll suggest to Severus that he start compounding a mild stomach soother in her daily prescription until Harriet’s digestion got used to eating more than table scraps.

                The status of History was a longstanding point of frustration between the Board of Supervisors and Dumbledore. Cuthbert Binns had been a member of Hogwarts Staff since 1811. His record of students passing at OWL level was barely above what was required for accreditation, and Narcissa knew from Griselda Marchbanks that the supermajority of those passing grades barely scraped Acceptable. Perhaps it was time to review the school charter.

                Picking up her ivory cigarette holder and twirling it in her hands, she picked up the letter stamped with the seal of Blishwick, Cutter, and Shaw. While the Blishwick family was only a low-ranking Noble House with no seats on the Wizengamot, Osiris Blishwick’s law firm had a reputation for cutthroat solicitors that got results, which is why they were often one of the first calls for representation among the nobility and the elite. Osiris’s son Abraham had been one of Lucius’s dormmates at Hogwarts, and under his management his father’s company had only continued to flourish.

                _Narcissa,_

_After much digging, I’ve managed to confirm what the goblins told Lucius. Sirius Orion Black II was interred into Azkaban on November 2, 1981 following a 24 hour stay in DMLE holding cells. Old Alastor Moody arrested him, but there is no record of arrest. I have signatures from both Bartemius Crouch Sr., Minister Bagnold, and Chief Warlock Dumbledore confirming his internment but there is no mention of any arraignment, let alone trial._

_Midst of the war or not, heads are definitely going to roll when the public finds out that a Confirmed Heir was sent to prison without trial, let alone Black. Do you believe that Arcturus will allow his Heir to undergo Veritaserum?_

_Sincerely,_

_Heir Abraham Blishwick_

_Noble House of Blishwick_

_Lead Solicitor of Blishwick, Cutter, and Shaw_

 

                Narcissa gave a wide grin as she took a puff from her cigarette. Arcturus Black III was an absolute cobra of a man, and not a shred of venerability showed in his nine decades of age. Following the untimely death of his wife and imprisonment of his grandson, the Duke of Blackmoor had spent the end of the war in seclusion. His return to the Wizengamot was certainly going to be a fiery one. She quickly wrote a reply and gave it to the stern-looking owl.

                Narcissa extinguished her cigarette and vanished the ash and remains from the tray. She walked inside and grabbed her travel cloak, casting a spell to refresh her makeup before making her way to the parlor. She grabbed a handful of Floo powder and tossed it into the hearth.

                It was time to visit Castle Black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Arcturus (as well as quite a few of the other older generation.) Are still alive. Canonically Arcturus lived until 1991 and died at the age of 90. Even if you don't consider that regular wizards supposedly can live well to be 150 and powerful wizards to 200, this presumes that the Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, one of the most powerful families in all of wizarding britain, somehow lived for ten straight years ignoring that Sirius had been imprisoned without public trial and that Harry who is a black both as Sirius's Godson and at least second cousins to the main Black line was removed from the magical world by Dumbledore.
> 
> I'm going to call that a major plot hole.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!


	10. Familius Primum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arcturus begins to start showing the world that the Black Family isn't finished while Harriet starts to get used to school and learns more about the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 10 is here! I thank everyone so very much for all the comments and feedback, it really does help. I want to give special thanks to my new beta hikaribennett! 
> 
> A bit of a warning, this chapter has some heart-wrenching moments. Harriet still has a long road ahead of her.

Lord Arcturus Black sat in a wing-backed chair in his private office, his bony fingers steepled as he meditated within his Occlumency mindscape. A tumbler of fine crystal filled with near-priceless Ogden’s ’41 sat neglected on the blackwood table next to him. To describe his mood as _smoldering_ would be an understatement. Nesting Horntails have better temperaments compared to the fury that was thundering through the Black Patriarch, though his Mask could have been chiseled from granite for all the expression it showed.

One of the Most Ancient magical bloodlines, the Black family began as House _Furvuum_ , a patrician family of artisans who served as Roman Consuls for over 300 years before becoming one of the first magical families to settle in Britannia. From the conquering of Caledonia to the 1186 Peace Conference where the 12 Druid tribes of _Eirnia Insula Sacra_ laid the foundations of the current Irish Federation's existence, the family had exerted their influence; from the founding of Avalon to Ser Godric's decision to take the foundations of Castle Gryffindor and build what would become Hogwarts and the village of Hogsmeade, the Blacks were always at the table as important advisors and financiers.

The last century had been an absolute _disgrace._ While the vaults were enough to fund a small country for decades, it had still _diminished._ Arcturus could hardly even care about goblin-damned _gold_ when he had to consider the loss of _Magic._

He could feel it. The Black Family magics were slowly being stripped away, discarded and forgotten. His Grandfather Delphinus had attempted to purify the bloodline, strip away some of the secondary houses, and set new guidelines as to which families were _acceptable_ candidates for marriage. Unfortunately, the population hadn’t grown as one would have hoped amid two mundane World Wars and three Lordly conquests. He’d warned his son Orion about marrying Walburga; marriage between second cousins was extremely close for a family already plagued with madness.

Arcturus wasn’t going to allow the Black family to die out. _Toujours Pur_ wasn’t some nonsense about squibs or mundanes. It meant to be pure of magic, to protect it and allow it to flourish. It was meant to fight idiot nonsense like that proposed by fools like Albus Dumbledore, who sought to destroy magic by outlawing rituals, banning entire schools of magic, and throwing out centuries of tradition.

He reached forward and picked up the documents from his desk. After Narcissa had explained to him the injustices that befell his Heir and the last scion of the Potters, who were themselves the last remnants of both Gryffindor and Peverell, he had stopped the conversation and demanded that they immediately floo to the Department of Law Enforcement. Lady Amelia Bones was a firebrand who ruled her department with a velvet gloved iron fist and  Arcturus could show her nothing but respect. While she had been shocked by the allegations, the documents (or rather lack thereof) that her department had been unable to reproduce combined with the memory that Narcissa had shared of the rescue of Harriet Potter from her muggle captors had stirred the woman into action.

Sirius Black had been released into Arcturus’s care not fifteen minutes later, officially on house arrest pending an official trial. He was currently in Switzerland at the Hapsburg-Lothringen Center for Intensive Medical Care. Doctors were unsure of his magical and mental health, but the gold that the Black family poured into that hospital insured that he would receive world-class care.

Arcturus’s second order of business was meeting with the Minister of Magic. Fudge had the political accumen of a Krup, but was extremely charismatic and was all that you could want from a peacetime minister for a country healing from war.

Cornelius Fudge had his hands wrapped around his teacup so that Arcturus couldn’t see how bad his hands were trembling under the steely gaze of the Black Lord.

”As you can imagine Minister, I am quite displeased with the work of the _previous_ administration.“ Arcturus intoned, carefully enunciating.

Fudge blustered, eyes widening as he saw an out to this disastrous scandal, “Q-quite, quite unfortunate, yes. Such a tumultuous time in the war, everyone making rash decisions. I’m so glad that our administration is able to look at things with a more critical eye.“

“Quite right, Minister. I know that you of all people understand what a scandal it would be if the circumstances regarding the Girl-Who-Lived’s upbringing were to be made public.“

Fudge froze. When he’d received news that Harriet Potter had spent the last ten years with a muggle family, he had choked on his tea. When Amelia told him there was evidence of abuse? Well, that just wouldn’t do.

“I can’t say that I had any idea what Dumbledore was thinking, Lord Black. I-if you say that the Potter’s Will is Goblin-Verified, then it certainly supercedes the copy sitting in the Hall of Records. You say that she’s currently living with your grandniece?“

“Yes, Narcissa and Lucius took her in for now until a more permanent solution could be found.“

Fudge gave a sigh of relief. Lucius Malfoy was always responsible and level headed.

“Good good, I can’t imagine what it’s like for the poor girl. Be sure to owl me if you ever need anything, the least I can do to make up for the injustices done to your family.“

Arcturus gave a wide smile as he stood up, “Thank you Cornelius. It’s nice to see that we finally have responsible leadership in charge. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. If you’ll excuse me, I have more family business to attend to.“ He gave a bow as Fudge directed him to his private Floo.

 

* * *

 

 

Harri was chatting with Luna, Daphne, and Milicent Bulstrode at breakfast when the owls flew in with the post. Things finally seemed to be on the up for Harri. Once she had started meeting with a Mind Healer and practicing her Occlumency, she had started feeling loads better, was sleeping more, and even managed to be the first person in transfiguration to switch her guinea pig with the piggy bank, earning her five points to Slytherin by a very bemused McGonagall.

Amid the rain of post owls, she spotted Aunt Cissy’s owl, which deftly dropped a package with two letters tied to it right in Harriet’s lap before soaring off. Harri blinked and craned her neck down the table where Draco received a similar package from an Owl that she imagined was Lucius’s.

“Who’s it from, Harri?“ Daphne asked, looking at her curiously.

“That looked like Lady Narcissa’s owl,“ Tracey Davis mentioned. “I remember the interesting feather patterns that it has everytime it comes by to invite Mother for tea.“

Harri picked up the first letter, recognizing Narcissa’s handwriting.

                Harriet,

                You don’t need to fret! I know that you must be busy getting used to life at Hogwarts. Feel free to write whenever you wish, but certainly don’t feel like you need to. Your handwriting is much improved, I’m glad to see that you’re getting used to writing with a quill! If you still want to get a little more instruction, I would be glad to sit down with you during Yule break. Don’t despair, it took Draco more than a few seasons of practice before his own writing wasn’t a blotted mess.

                Occlumency is a very useful skill that I would encourage you to learn! I’m sure that Professor Prince has already recommended you some books on the subject, but if there’s any that you hear about that you are interested in, I can check the Malfoy library or order for you.

                I’m sending Morrigan with a care package. Feel free to share with Luna and your other friends.

                Much Love,

                Aunt Cissa

Harri smiled, placing the parchment back in its letter and tucking it in her bag. She picked up the second letter with curiosity, unfamiliar with the rather sharp handwriting on the front.

                Harriet,

                I am extremely pleased with the performance that Severus has informed me of thus far. Despite your unfortunate circumstances, you are showing extreme resolve. Draconis tells me that you are making friends with the young Misses Lovegood, Davis, Bulstrode, and Greengrass. They are all very intelligent girls who are connected to proper families.

                Within the package that Narcissa is sending, I am including first-edition copies of _Assembling the Mindscape_ by Albert Biltruss and _Metamorph’s Grimoire Vol 1_ by Corvus Black IV. The former is an advanced guide to Occlumency that will help with mental sorting and Legilimency defense. The latter is a book written in the 15th century by one of your many-times relatives and contains instructions on how to begin training your Metamorphmagus abilities.

                The book is a Black family grimoire and is considered a family secret. I have not read the book, nor can anybody else that does not contain any Black blood. I don’t believe I need to impress upon you the difficulties that someone may find themselves in if they were to attempt to. Take utmost caution with how you handle it.

                As always, I am here for your guidance however you may have need of it. I will see you at Yule.

                Regards,

                Lucius

Eyes wide, Harri slowly opened the package. The two books that Lucius had mentioned were tucked neatly inside, soft brown leather bound around the handwritten parchment. Both of them appeared very old. Besides the books, there was a large package of candies from Honeydukes, six honey-colored candles, what appeared to be a full homemade treacle tart still piping under a stasis charm, and a large weave of extremely soft fabric that Harriet quickly figured out was a blanket.

“Ooh, truffles!“ Millicent said as her friends inspected the contents of the package, “Can I have one, Harri?“

“Sure Millie, take three.“ She smiled. She still didn’t have a very big sweet tooth; it made her sick to her stomach. Harri remembered when Dudley would come home on Halloween with Piers Polkiss and Anthony Matthews with gigantic pillowsacks full of sweets and gorge themselves on all assortments of chocolates and caramels. She always wondered what Halloween was like.

When breakfast wrapped up, she gingerly placed everything in her bag, still surprised at its ability to somehow always have room for something. Her initials, H.A.P., had been embroidered underneath what Aunt Cissa had told her was the Potter family crest.

“Walk with us to Transfiguration, Harri?“ Tracey asked, brushing crumbs off her skirt.

Harriet gave a look of brief bewilderment, “Yeah, er, Yes!“ She exclaimed.

Harriet, Tracey, Daphne, Luna, and Millicent were halfway up the second staircase when a voice rang out,

“Potter!“

Harri froze; it was Draco. What did he want? Did she do something wrong? She turned to the others, “I’ll catch up, save me a seat?“ before turning around as Draco walked up to her.

“M-Morning, Draco.“ She stammered, absentmindedly brushing a hand through her hair, “Is there something you need?“

Draco gave her a blank stare. Harriet couldn’t tell if he was thoroughly unimpressed or just wearing his mask. Finally, he replied,

“A few of us –  Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, Zabini, and Parkinson so far –  are going to hold a Samhain ritual on Friday night instead of going to Dumbledore’s stupid muggle-feast. Mother mentioned that you had never experienced a Samhain ritual before. Do you practice the Olde Ways?“

Harri bit her lip. Of course the Dursley’s had never taken her when they went to service at St. Ignatius’s, preferring to leave her at home so that she could prepare the tea service and finger sandwiches for the Bible study/Lady’s Luncheon that Petunia would throw while she was locked in the cupboard.

“I haven’t tried, but I would like to.“

Draco’s lip twitched in minor annoyance, but he otherwise didn’t react, “Uncle Sev – Professor Prince has offered us the use of Potions Classroom 3. Be there at 5:30.“

Harriet smiled, “Can I invite my friends? Tracey, Daphne, Milly, and Luna, I mean.“

Draco’s eyebrow lifted in surprise and he chuckled, “Sure Potter, if they want.“

Harriet beamed. “Thanks, Draco,“ she said before darting off to transfiguration.

Harri was buzzing with excitement as she walked into the Transfiguration classroom and slid into a seat next to Luna.

“You seem to be in high spirits! Did Draco have good news?“ Luna whispered.

“I’ll tell you later.“ Harri whispered back as the class began to take notes on the _Avifors_ spell.

Harri was telling Daphne and Luna about Friday in hushed tones when Professor McGonagall approached their table with a stern look on her face,

“If the three of you are chatting then clearly you have been able to master the transfiguration. Miss Potter, would you care to demonstrate?“

Harri blushed, pointing her wand at the pink rubber ball that sat on the desk before her and casting “Avifors.“

The ball rapidly darkened. With a few chirps, a miniscule baby raven was standing in front of her, tilting her blind eyes towards the light.

“While you need to practice your wandwork, a fine attempt for a first year.“ McGonagall said with pursed lips, “Two points to Slytherin, and a warning to not talk about things other than Transfiguration in my classroom unless you want to receive a detention.“

“Yes, Professor.“ Harri said, abashed.

 

* * *

 

 

                Later that day after a long bath Harri slipped into her pajamas and climbed into her four-poster, shuttering the curtains. She curled up in a tight ball on her bed, sobbing with a practiced quiet that would ensure that nobody heard her. After what Luna had told her about Samhain, the night when the veil was at its thinnest and the dead could seek out their living loved ones, Harriet had become overwhelmed with anxiety. She hadn’t even been able to help Daphne with the Herbology essay, telling her that she was ill.

                Harriet couldn’t even put into words how much that terrified her. The thought of finally meeting her parents after ten years? What would they think of her? She’s not a powerful witch, she’s just a scrawny _freak_ that can barely do any magic at all! Would they even want to see her? They would be so _dissapointed_ by what she’s become. Harri knew that she couldnt back out of the ritual now, but it left a rock like pit in the bottom of her stomach.

                Tears streamed down her face as she reached into her bag and pulled out the blanket that Narcissa had sent her. Draping it around her, she immediately felt a wave of calm as the blanket weighed down on her, pressing her against her bed in a not-unpleasant way. Brushing the soft fabric with her hand, Harriet quickly dropped off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Thomas Marvolo Gaunt, though reduced to a shade partially inhabiting Quirinus Quirrell, was exceptionally happy. Despite his death, his network of spies and informants thrived, and their work would be rewarded handsomely once he was returned to power. The Philosopher’s Stone was in Hogwarts, and the secrets of its protection were in his hands. With the Stone in his control, he would be able to use the Gaunt Ring and Hufflepuff’s cup to fully restore himself. Then he would absorb Ravenclaw’s Diadem and Slytherin’s Locket. In his teenage hubris he’d been a fool. Having five Horcruxes had dangerously splintered his soul. Towards the end of his first life, his magic had begun to wane and his sanity dwindled. He wouldn’t make that mistake again. One Horcrux was more than enough to ensure his immortality.

In a way it was ironic. Samhain was the day that he died attempting to create his sixth Horcrux, and now it would be the beginning of his rebirth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Next chapter we're finally getting to Samhain! 
> 
> I will say now that this is not a Drarry story. I might write one in the future, but for this series Harri has other mates for her to find.


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